Trial By Torture
by Chasby13
Summary: Twelve years after The War,the Wizarding World is in peace and Harry finally has his own family. It's all perfect until he starts hearing familiar whispers from his worst nightmare. On the same day, the Ministry is shaken to their core after a devastating attack on Gringotts by Harry Potter himself! Without memories and with a new friend, will Harry prove his innocence?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 **Forbidden Forest, Twelve Years Ago**

Even as night fell, the horizon was lit by random flashes flying from hundreds of wands in the battle for Hogwarts. The once majestic castle was now in ruins and casualties were rising on both sides. Nonetheless, the Battle went on, for neither side had given up hope. But for the hooded figure bent against a tree; panting heavily, all was lost. Clad in a battered black cloak, with tears streaming down his bruised, pale face and clutching a dripping wound on his left arm; Nathan Claymore looked nothing like the smart and cheerful Fourth-year his peers always looked up to.

After the murder of his parents; who had been Aurors for the Ministry, by Death Eaters the previous year, his life had quickly turned into a freakish nightmare. Orphaned, he had harbored seething hatred towards the murderers and when he found out they were among the ranks of the Dark Lord's army; he had recklessly charged in for redemption. But he had been no match for their power and would have been killed if not for his friends who fearlessly fought with werewolves just so that he could escape. Seeing his friends get butchered while being powerless to do anything had deeply shaken his conscience.

Currently, his eyes widened with fear as he noticed some movement behind him. A sudden burst of adrenaline in his veins caused the pain in his arm to subside as he ran deeper into the woods.

§§§

Nathan had no idea how long he had been running for or where he was. The pain was worse than ever and exhaustion was fast setting in. His vision was getting blurry and he felt that he would faint soon. He felt his legs catch on something and crashed heavily onto the forest floor. The impact knocked the breath out of him and left a nasty gash on his forehead. Groaning, he somehow found his wand and croaked:

"Lumos"

The clearing lit up faintly. Painfully, Nathan made it up to his feet when he noticed hoof prints all around him.

"Centaurs" he thought. As he looked around at the trail, he found something glinting from inside one of the prints.

Curious, he picked it up to find and odd black stone. It had a jagged crack running down its middle around which were inscriptions. Some were indiscernible but there was what looked like a circle inside a triangle faintly etched on it.

Maybe he was delusional due to exhaustion but the stone looked oddly familiar. Like something out of a book he had read as a child….


	2. Whisper

**Ch 1: Whisper**

 **Ottery St. Catchpole, Two Days Ago (Day 1)**

Rubbing his eyes, Harry walked into the dining room to find James sitting beside Lily's cradle. Even at age six, the young man had a very protective attitude towards his baby sister. He had been making funny faces to Lily's amusement but turned and greeted his father with a toothy grin when he saw him enter.

Harry was about to go to the cradle when Albus dashed out of the kitchen clutching a spoon which seemed to be trying to break free of his grasp. He got fascinated by hovering items and was always looking to catch hold of one of them when his mother was cooking. Today, having succeeded, he was overjoyed. However, his triumph was short lived as Ginny walked out of the kitchen and, with a casual flick of her wand; summoned the spoon to her hand.

She was wearing an apron on top of a simple purple gown and her usual scarlet mane was tied in a neat ponytail today. Even in the simplest of attires, she always managed to look breathtaking. Before heading back to the kitchen she gave Harry a warm smile which reminded him just how grateful he was to have married her.

The only one missing from his usual company at breakfast was young Teddy Lupin who had returned to Hogwarts for his second year last month. It was hard to believe that it had been twelve long years since the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry still couldn't believe he was no more the child living in a cupboard under the stairs in his uncle's house. So many things had transpired since then and now he finally had his own family.

§§§

"We are back" Albus announced enthusiastically as his father opened the door to allow him to enter carrying a large cage. Inside it; sleeping contently with its head behind its wings, was a snow white owl.

After Ginny helped the boys carry the cage To Albus's room, she came back to the living room and sat beside Harry on the couch.

"Ron and Hermione are coming over for dinner." She said, fondly ruffling his hair.

Smiling, Harry was about to reply when he heard it. A faint, yet familiar whisper, hissing something in his ears.

"B..l..o…o…d"

A chill ran down Harry's spine. Ginny's voice seemed to be coming from a place far away. His living room seemed to be fading to black; giving way to something else. A pale, serpentine face; one with red slits for eyes and a sickening grin spread across its width.

"HARRY?" Ginny was gently tapping his shoulder.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong? You suddenly spaced out with your eyes wide open. Why are you sweating? Do you feel ill?-"

Her enquiries had no effect on Harry, for a single, terrifying thought currently occupied his mind.

"It has been twelve years. It can't be possible, right? It _has_ to be some sort of delusion-"

He rose up abruptly.

"What's the matter?" Ginny's concern only grew with each moment.

Harry didn't know what to say to her. He tried his best to sound calm;

"Just remembered something I have to do right now. I will be back by lunch."

Saying these words, he hurriedly changed into a travel outfit and hurried out of his house.

"Without proper proof, I would sound insane telling people that Voldemort is alive after all these years. After all that we had done over the years-"

"No" he thought to himself.

"I can't just let all our efforts to maintain peace go to waste. I will just find out the truth myself and act accordingly." He nodded, determined.

Ginny still wasn't convinced with the way his demeanor had changed all of a sudden. But, before she could say anything, he had absent-mindedly waved goodbye to her and Disapparated with a loud crack.

At that time, neither of them knew that their world was soon about to crumble beneath their feet.


	3. Crime

**Ch 2: Crime**

 **Diagon Alley, Two Days Ago (Day 1)**

The afternoon Sun shone brightly on Diagon Alley. Being the busiest part of the day, the streets were teaming with folk jostling each other to get to their respective destinations. While it was nothing unusual for the wizards and witches gathered there, to Poppy; a little house elf, it was like navigating a labyrinth. Bernard Bigsley, her master; a tall, brown haired man with cold, dark eyes and an imposing scowl on his sharp featured face, was having no trouble getting through. But for poor Poppy; barely reaching the people's waists, it was a different matter altogether.

After what seemed like ages, she finally found her master frowning at her as she scuttled up to him on the doorstep of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. After shooting a withering glance at her, he tossed his heavy overcoat to her and went inside. Poppy recalled being told by her master that house-elves were not allowed to enter the Bank for goblins found them filthy and unreliable. Her big ears drooped as she wondered why everyone despised her kind when they always did their best to serve their masters. She had heard some talk of a witch in the Ministry who wanted elves to be freed from servitude, but she knew her master didn't believe in such nonsense and would never let her go free.

She watched a little girl in a pretty pink frock skip merrily into the Bank, looked down at her filthy rag and sighed. Trying not to think about things which would never come true, she took to observing her surroundings and her already golf-ball like eyes widened even further.

Walking up to her; clad in a gray overcoat, with messy jet black hair and green eyes behind round black spectacles, was Harry Potter himself!

§§§

It had been a while since Harry Potter had walked past her into Gringotts but Poppy still couldn't believe her luck on having actually seen him. She had heard tales of the treatment elves received during the reign of The Dark Lord. A sense of joy had filled her on hearing of his demise by the hands of the man she had just had the honor to see.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard familiar footsteps approaching her and the voice of her master in conversation with another wizard. A little shiver went down her spine as she thought of the punishment she would receive for being slow in aiding her master. But just as the steps were about to reach the door, something strange happened. A distant wailing arose from somewhere below the ground. Definitely not human, it wasn't like anything she had ever heard before. But it sounded like some giant beast's plea for help, or a warning. Either way, it couldn't have been anything good.

"Must be the Ironbelly down in the dungeons. Probably being whipped again." Her master spoke in his usual monotonous voice.

The footsteps resumed and a portly man appeared out of the door followed by Mr. Bigsley, who was now carrying a heavy briefcase. He immediately threw the briefcase at Poppy and grunted, implying that she should wait for him ahead as he wanted a private word with the other gentleman.

Poppy lugged all the stuff away from them with visible difficulty while the two men shook each other's hands. Occupied with carrying the heavy things, she didn't notice that by now, the entire crowd seemed to have gathered together, gazing over at Gringotts due to the dragon's wailing which had intensified even more in the last few moments. Murmurs went up around her as the people wondered what was going on inside the building.

Just as they were deciding upon a probable cause, the wailing ended just as abruptly as it had begun. As if mimicking it, silence descended over the crowd as well. The air was thick with anticipation. Everyone was curious to know exactly what had happened yet none could provide an explanation.

Unable to get through, Poppy was just about to request a burly man in front of her to allow her to pass when her ears detected an isolated beep from somewhere far away. She had no idea what it was but a sense of dread filled her as she stopped, rooted to her spot for a brief moment. Fearing for the worst, she turned and was just able to see her master same as he had been before the building exploded into scarlet flames.

In a fraction of a second, she was launched a dozen feet away by the sheer force of the blast. She landed on the ground, the impact knocking the breath out of her lungs. Her mind was flushed with panic, running wildly, but her body was unable to move. Her limbs had already gone numb and blood was gushing from a wound on her forehead. Her eyes could see chunks of Gringotts launched high into the sky. Scream constantly echoed around her. The smell of burning flesh, metal and sulphur filled the air, making it difficult to breathe.

Her vision was getting blurred, her senses were getting dull and the screams felt more and more distant as she slowly drifted unconscious…


	4. Task

**Ch 3: Task**

 **Ministry Of Magic, One Day Ago (Day 2)**

As the emerald flames died down, Ron and Hermione stepped out of the fireplace to find themselves at the Minister's private chambers. The couches, coffee tables, flower vases and tapestries which had earlier adorned the room had been replaced by bare beige walls, a rectangular wooden table and a dozen or so chairs arranged around it to accommodate everyone. Apart from them, the gathering comprised of three sinister-looking goblins in formal attire muttering amongst themselves, Vanessa Williams; a petite blonde known for her interest in Muggles which had led to her recent appointment as Head of Department of Muggle Affairs and, much to Ron's annoyance , Draco Malfoy. Standing directly opposite to them, gazing out of the window with his back to them was Kingsley Shacklebolt. Sensing their arrival, he turned to greet them;

"Glad you could join us at such short notice. Please sit down."

He gestured to two vacant chairs before taking a seat at the head of the table himself. As Ron and Hermione sat down, making sure to pick the seat farthest from Draco, the fireplace erupted in emerald flames once again and a lanky man dressed in a black suit stepped out of it. His pale complexion, beady eyes, protruding nose and sharp look gave him the appearance of a vulture stalking its prey. He bowed to the Minister in greeting and took a seat right by the now quiet goblins.

"This is Leonard Harper from the Magical Liaisons' office. He is also an accomplished former Auror. Due to his fair judgment and successful career, our goblin companions have been kind enough to accept him as their representative." Kingsley introduced the man to everyone who nodded curtly in response. Finding everyone's attention to be on him once again, Kingsley cleared his throat and spoke in a low, serious voice;

"As all of you know, an explosion took place at Gringotts Wizarding Bank yesterday afternoon. It was discovered that the event was caused by a Muggle explosive device."

This statement was followed by shocked looks and a gasp from Vanessa. Kingsley then resumed;

"The blast itself and resultant debris has claimed more than a hundred lives, goblin and wizard-kind alike. We are yet to find the culprit. Even though the building can be easily restored, the goblins refuse to send any more of their kind to reopen Gringotts until we resolve the issue. Thus, we are all here today to discuss our best course of action to find the perpetrator."

Here Kingsley stopped for a breath. He looked like he wanted to go on but was interrupted by Harper;

"Apologies Minister, but my goblin companions are getting a little impatient. If it's all right, May I begin?" he raised an eyebrow towards Kingsley who nodded calmly.

The latter began in a cold, emotionless voice;

"Thank you. First, the goblins respectfully disagree with the Minister's views. We do have a highly probable culprit along with evidence to support our suspicions. According to Poppy; a rescued house-elf who witnessed the event yesterday, there was only one wizard inside the bank at the time of the explosion which took place somewhere above the dungeon vaults. He could've died due to debris but the absence of remains suggests otherwise. His connections to the Muggles, with whom he spent his early life, could easily grant him access to a device capable of the destruction at Gringotts."

He paused for dramatic effect. Then stated coolly;

"That wizard was Harry James Potter."

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence in the room. The tension in the air was palpable. While Hermione still had a look of pure disbelief on her face, Ron felt a wave of anger wash over him. Enraged; he glared at Harper and spoke, barely able to conceal his anger;

"So, your theory is that Harry; the man who fought Voldemort and all his lackeys even after losing most of his loved ones to them, even _died_ once to save your ungrateful rear suddenly decided to go blow-up the place where he keeps all his money just because it seemed fun? Are you insane?"

Unfazed, Harper locked his beady eyes with Ron's;

"Would you not attempt to avenge the death of your loved ones? Mr. Potter's battle against the Dark Lord did benefit our society greatly but personal vendettas have nothing to do with the matter at hand. Consequences of one's vengeance do not portray his character. Apart from that fact, he is infamous for rejection of authorities, pride, an obsession with entering into every restricted area ever introduced to him and recklessness beyond regard of consequences. The only other Hogwarts student with a similar record was Tom Marvolo Riddle. They even share the same wand core. Much like his predecessor; I'm sure he wouldn't have any trouble finding _friends_ ready to do his bidding."

Ron felt like punching Harper's teeth down his throat. Clenching his fist to keep himself from reaching for his wand, he growled;

"Are you trying to say that either I or Hermione had a role in the explosion? I would like to see you explain that to me."

Harper was indifferent as he retorted;

"You are smarter than most people give you credit for Mr. Weasley."

"Yes, I was indeed referring to the possibility. If I remember correctly, your father had a job in the Ministry but he was defamed for a while during your fifth academic year, I have been told you had a grudge against his employers at the time. The only family member you have a strained relationship with was Percy, who worked under the late Rufus Scrimgeour. Your spouse has Muggle parents; she could have procured the explosive."

"Furthermore, the only other time Gringotts was broken into was by Harry Potter, aided by yourself and Mrs. Granger-Weasley. During that time, you also developed a sour relationship with Griphook; a goblin who was later found dead. If not for your services to the Ministry as an Auror and the Minister's trust in you; those facts alone would have been enough to grant me authority to interrogate you regarding Mr. Potter's whereabouts using any means possible."

By now, Ron was fuming. His knuckles were white and his face felt red hot. Seeing the situation, the Minister raised both his hands.

"That is enough. I wish to actually accomplish something through this meeting. We already have enough on our plates." Seeing both men go silent, he continued;

"We have used most of our time already so let us meet again for further _discussions_. For now, there are some announcements. Even though I don't completely agree with him, Mr. Harper made some good points and Harry Potter is missing. Therefore, we will form a team of Aurors to recover him. It has been requested by the goblins that Mr. Harper be a part of that team. In the absence of Harry; the Head of our Aurors Department, Mr. Weasley will lead it. Hermione will also accompany them along with Mr. Malfoy. Today, this team shall investigate the Gringotts premises and report developments, if any, to me. Any personal grievances _will be_ set aside for this task. "

He gave a stern look to Ron, Hermione and then to Draco before resuming;

"No matter what, we need to bring him back. "

"Sir, what if Potter turns out to be the culprit? Is our leader really capable of taking necessary action?" Malfoy spoke for the first time with a smirk.

"What do you mean, you- "Ron began furiously but was interrupted by Kingsley.

"He's right."

"What? Minister, do you really believe that to be true?" Ron had expected Kingsley to dismiss Malfoy's words.

"Mr. Malfoy is right. Are you up to the task?"

"What task are you referring to Minister?" Ron asked, hoping it wasn't what his gut was telling him.

Kingsley took a deep breath.

"I mean, if the need arises, will you be up to the task of incapacitating or even… eliminating Harry James Potter?"


	5. Outlaw

**Ch 4: Outlaw**

 **Somewhere in the countryside, Present Day (Day 3)**

Harry woke up with a start to find himself in a pitch black place. Having just had a nightmare involving Dementors and the hollow laughter of Voldemort turning his insides to lead; his initial thought was of being trapped in a dungeon until a sudden jerk caused him to bump his head against the roof with a dull thud. He was clutching his head while swearing at the roof when someone slid a curtain in front of him. Harry was momentarily blinded by the sudden exposure to light. Through the blinding flash, he heard a loud, heavily accented voice;

"You all right there kid?"

As his vision returned, Harry looked at the speaker. Peeping in with a concerned look was a massive face. It was about half a foot long and easily as wide as Harry's waist, the creature's small black eyes peered from under bushy eyebrows and its round meaty nose sat atop an even bushier moustache. Combined with messy brown hair and a long brown beard all but covering his mouth gave Harry the impression that it was a massive bear. Still a little shaken, Harry merely nodded. A wide grin immediately spread on the giant face;

"Good for ya. Now crawl outta there, it's a lovely day." Saying these words, the face disappeared behind the curtains once more.

Harry was reluctant about being in the company of a giant stranger but with his head swarming with countless questions, he needed some answers. So, he chose to comply. After he has somehow crawled out of the place, he found himself in a mundane horse-drawn cart. It was about mid-day and they appeared to be in the countryside. Just as Harry had imagined; his companion was a mountain of a man. His paw-like hands were clutching the reins of two horses and his potbelly wiggled with every movement of the cart. Harry felt sorry for the poor duo of horses forced to carry this man's weight and more.

Presently, the man shifted the reins to one hand and offered the other to Harry in greeting;

"Name's Hugh Dodd. Pleasure to meet you."

Harry reluctantly took the hand and gingerly shook it with both his hands.

"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you too." He mumbled.

Satisfied; Hugh went back to driving the cart. Having been occupied with the giant man sitting beside him; Harry had momentarily forgotten about the dull ache in his head from the bump earlier. Now that he was idle however; it returned, worse than before. Carefully massaging it, he turned to Hugh;

"Could you answer some questions if you don't mind? For starters, how did I get here?"

Hugh raised both his eyebrows as if he had forgotten Harry had been unconscious.

"Oh sure! Let's see, found two shady looking rascals trying to put you in the trunk of a car two days ago. You were unconscious. So I stunned them and brought you with me. This is the first time you woke up since."

"Two days? I have been unconscious for TWO WHOLE DAYS?" Harry's shock was evident in his voice.

The last thing he remembered was leaving his home because the voice in his head. Recalling this, his eyes widened.

"My family? Where are they? Are they all right?"

Hugh thought for a bit and replied; "Yeah, I thought of trying to find your folks a while back but decided it would be worse for you, with the mess at Gringotts and the posters and all."

If he had been shocked before, Harry was completely dumbfounded now.

"Gringotts? Mess? Posters? What are you going on about?"

Hugh took a deep breath. His voice was serious when he spoke next;

"Suppose you don't know. A short while before I found you, there was this big blast at Gringotts. First of its kind in history. Killed loads of people and goblins. Trashed half of Diagon Alley. Word has it that some elf saw you enter the bank last and now all the goblins think you did it. The Ministry has sent some of them Aurors to find you so that they can hand you over to the goblins as a peace offering. To reopen Gringotts. There are posters with your face and name everywhere. Your people probably think you're either dead or a criminal. Can't blame them. If I hadn't seen those bastards hauling you away; I would've believed the Ministry too."

He turned to give a brief comforting look to Harry, who was trembling from head to toe.

"Sorry to be the one to break the bad news but you are a fugitive now Mr. Potter."


	6. Friend

**Ch 5: Friend**

 **Somewhere in the countryside, Present Day (Day 3)**

"So? Which Muggle sport is your favourite?" Hugh eyed Harry expectantly only to find a blank expression on his face.

Worried, he nudged Harry. The latter almost jumped in surprise and glanced up at him wide-eyed.

"Beg your pardon?"

"I asked which Muggle sport you liked."

The expression on Harry's face somehow managed to convey disbelief and annoyance at the same time.

"I don't follow the Muggle world to that extent. Tell me yours." He said, evading the question.

"I already told you, but you were too busy spacing out." Hugh sounded like a child who Harry had refused to play with.

"Forgive me for missing out on a heated discussion on Muggle sports to focus on trivial matters like I don't know, being a wanted criminal!"

Hugh looked a little put-off but wasn't ready to give in yet.

"Yeah, whining will make everything all right. I have been trying to lighten up the mood for a while now. It wouldn't hurt to be a good sport you know."

"A good sport? I wake up on a cart with a stranger after being unconscious for two days during which I have somehow managed to blow up Gringotts. Aurors; people I should be leading, are hunting me. I have no idea whether my family and friends are safe and I have no way of contacting them without risking my life. Ooh, and did I mention that the last thing I remember is hearing Voldemort in my head; still no clue about that. Heck, I am not even sure if this is a nightmare. And you want me to be a 'good sport'? I doubt it is physically possible for anyone to be any more annoying." Harry finally snapped.

There was complete silence for a few minutes broken only by Harry's heavy breathing. Finally, Hugh spoke again;

"So, I hear you own a hippogriff. Is he cute?"

Harry paused abruptly and then glared up at the big man. Then he sighed and stood up, defeated.

"I stand corrected. Now excuse me, I am going back inside before I _actually_ burst into flames."

Declaring this; he disappeared behind the curtains to the carriage once more.

§§§

Sensing the cart coming to a halt, Harry stepped out to find that night had already fallen. They were in a deserted area. Hugh was a short distance ahead; leaning against a tree with his back towards him. Harry was just considering going up to him and apologizing for his behavior; the man had saved his life after all, when the latter spoke;

"Don't bother saying sorry. I don't know what I would have done in your place. But, you're not the only one with problems, kid." His tone was serious, almost pained.

Harry suddenly felt guilt wash over him. He had been so occupied by his own troubles that he hadn't even bothered asking why Hugh was driving around the countryside in a Muggle horse-cart. Mentally kicking himself; Harry approached him so that they stood shoulder-to-head and placed his hand on the big man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have behaved the way I did. I hope you forgive me. Also, I have a question. You know about Diagon Alley, Gringotts, elves and you said that you stunned the people trying to carry me off. That means you are a wizard, right? You also have a strange accent, where are you from and why are you driving around a cart when you can just Apparate?"

Hugh's shoulder slacked down a bit. A wide grin replaced his scowl almost instantly.

"It's a long story. I will tell you on the way. For now, all you need to know is that I am an Auror from the USA. I am looking for a certain man who is supposedly dead. The other Aurors don't believe me but I found clues that he is still alive. Those clues lead me here, and even though I don't have permission, I decided to come here. Now, a trained Auror travelling between countries without permission is kinda illegal. Hence the peasant costume and the stupid cart."

Looking down at Harry; who looked confused, surprised and awed at the same time, he laughed.

Feeling the tension dissipate Harry let a grin form on his lips too.

"Listen, sometimes the odds just look like they are too much and that nothing will ever be the same again. But, the man I am looking for; my teacher, he taught me to be happy at all times because a smile is a powerful thing. You fake it long enough and genuinely believe that things will be better and everything falls right into place. Even though you are away from all your people right now, at least you are not alone. You have a friend with you, so be thankful. For now, I can't promise you anything. But my gut says that I will find my answers along with yours. So, let's try to get to the root of all this together. Who knows, you might become as renowned as me someday."

He laughed while saying the last sentence.

The grin on Harry's face got a little wider for he really did feel grateful to have a friend right now.


	7. Witness

**Ch 6: Witness**

 **Gringotts Wizarding Bank, One Day Ago (Day 2)**

The dark walls echoed with Hermione's footsteps as she surveyed the underground vaults. Never before has she paid attention to the sheer size of Gringotts. The ceiling; easily thirty feet in the air and lined with jagged stalactites made her surroundings look like the lair of some ancient beast. However, the dark metal doors rising up endlessly on either side were her current focus. Even though she was here to investigate the vaults; without a goblin to open the vaults, the chances of finding any clues were abysmal.

Hermione was aware of this but she had chosen to come down here alone to get her thoughts straight. At least that's what she had intended but her mind kept returning to Ginny.

Shortly after leaving the Ministry; Hermione had met her at her home. James and Albus were the first to greet her and enquire about Harry.

"He will come back soon. Just some extra work." Ginny had told her children before sending them off to their rooms.

While she had managed to convince the boys; Hermione could clearly see the anguish in her eyes. It was almost unbearable to look into them while Hermione told her everything. During the whole time, Ginny had been listening with firm attention. Even after Hermione was done, she said nothing but bowed her head low. Only her mouth was still visible.

The room was completely silent for a moment. Hermione didn't know what to say. The quiet was finally broken by a whisper;  
"He will come back…..right?" As she said that; her lip quivered. Her hands were clenched on her lap, shaking uncontrollably.

Even before Hermione could say anything, she raised her head. The person looking at Hermione now looked nothing like the brave and cheerful Ginny she knew. Tears were gushing down her face in twin streams. Her great brown eyes bore into Hermione's;

"All those deaths at Gringotts….He….is…fine…..right? You-" At this point, her voice broke;

"You…don't think that….that…he?"

Hermione forced her thoughts to return to the present. Trying not to tear up thinking of the state Ginny was in; she looked ahead to find that she was nearing the final vaults of this level. Ahead of her; an enormous chunk of the ground was missing, probably wrecked by falling debris. It was obvious that she wouldn't be able to go any further so she decided to head back.

"I will find Harry. I _will._ " She muttered, as if to reassure herself.

She had just taken a few steps when the door nearest to her swung open with a series of clicks. With no idea about what to expect; she raised her wand and braced for the worst as she heard someone step out.

§§§

"…..always knew it. Potter was like this since the beginning-"

Draco; who had until now been intentionally speaking loudly to Harper was interrupted by a vase that Ron had 'accidentally' dropped. After quickly restoring it, Ron strode straight up to him, stopping just a few feet away.

"Sorry about that mate. You were saying?" Ron hissed, daring Malfoy to go further.

Malfoy remained unfazed;

"It's quite all right _Weasley_. I was just telling Leonard here that, your friend Potter was a nut since the beginning. One look at him and his _followers_ and you knew that he would soon-"

Ron's grip on his wand got tighter. A smug smile appeared on Malfoy's face as he drew his own wand, looked Ron in the eyes and resumed;

"As I was saying, one look and you knew he would soon- snap"

In a blur of movement; Ron knocked Draco's wand out of his hand, pinned him to the nearest wall and stopped himself mid-hex; his wand mere inches from Draco's eyes.

Registering what had just happened; Leonard too drew his wand and was about to fire a curse at Ron when he saw Hermione step into the hall. She froze up for a moment on seeing her husband holding Malfoy by the throat and Leonard ready to fire a curse at him.

Sensing her presence, Ron let go of Malfoy with a look of disappointment. The latter picked up his wand, brushed dust off his coat and stood up calmly as if nothing had happened. Once the situation was diffused, Hermione spoke urgently;

"I found something…. someone. Down in the vaults" she hesitated.

The three men looked at her confused. However, it was quickly replaced by shock as a goblin stepped out from behind Hermione. Unlike the sinister looks most goblins were known for, he looked pretty shaken;

"He was present during the incident yesterday. I found him hiding in one of the vaults. He said he was scared for his life. But, he is sure of the culprit's identity. "

The air was thick with anticipation as everyone waited for her to finish. She did her best to maintain her composure as she spoke the words she didn't want to believe;

"It was Harry."


	8. Reunion

**Ch 7: Reunion**

 **Bournemouth, Present Day (Day 4)**

"Bloody Hell!" was all that Ron could blurt out on seeing the sight.

The eleven mile sun-kissed Bournemouth beach was filled with people as usual only none of them were here for a picnic. For just a few yards ahead of where they were gathered; the pier, which until recently had been teeming with people trying to get a closer look at the sea was currently lying crushed under a five-tonne Ukrainian Ironbelly. The beast itself was in deep slumber but the Muggles converged around it were the biggest issue.

"Mrs. Granger-Weasley, please disable all of the Muggle electronic devices while I relieve them of their memories. Mr. Malfoy, I have been told you will take care of the dragon?" Harper; the first to react, inquired skeptically.

"Just stay out of my way." Malfoy snarled.

"Excuse me, it might just be me but don't we have Obliviators to handle this? Why are we here?" Ron said, confused.

Harper stopped in his tracks, looked at Ron like he was a troll and then spoke as if addressing a seven year old;

"Mr. Weasley, the Obliviators are preoccupied, and the Minister suspects your chum will make an appearance here. So stay on guard, it's why you're here."

By this time, Malfoy had conjured up a bell. Hermione winced, she had seen that bell only once before but clearly remembered what it was used for. The dragon peacefully sleeping on the beach was the one from Gringotts who had been missing since the blast. The scars on its flesh were still fresh. Just like its predecessor, it had been blinded and repeatedly lashed to train it to associate the ringing of the bell with pain. Malfoy; who worked with the goblins at Gringotts, had been given the task of recovering it.

However, he looked a little uncertain as he stepped forward with the bell in one hand and his wand raised in the other. By this time, she had completed the spell and a lot of the Muggles groaned as their phones and cameras were disabled. Seeing that she had succeeded; Harper pressed his wand horizontally against his neck and muttered;

"Sonorus."

Then he spoke in a voice that boomed across the beach and caught the attention of all the people around them;

"Attention inhabitants of Earth. We hail from the planet Pandora and come here in peace."

Hermione couldn't be impressed by the tactic. She had repeatedly read as well as witnessed the Muggle infatuation with extraterrestrial life.

Harper continued; "We have come to your world to deliver an important message. I will relay this message through a series of sounds. Please pay your utmost attention."

Saying this, he raised his wand, removing the Amplifying Charm and started muttering something under his breath. With each word; strange music spread from his wand. The Muggles seemed utterly confused at first but gradually, their faces conveyed blank expressions and their shoulders slouched. Soon they all collectively yawned and dropped onto the sand, fast asleep.

"Siren song. That's what they call it. But really it's just the lullaby the merpeople use for their children."

Harper said monotonously on seeing the puzzled look on Hermione's face.

Hearing the chiming of the bells, Hermione looked in the dragon's direction. It had opened its eyes and was cowering away from Malfoy while making sounds that clearly conveyed its fear of the lashes. Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor thing. The treatment it got was nothing short of barbaric. Even Malfoy had an apologetic look on his face as he slowly advanced towards the dragon. Soon he was mere feet away from it and was probably about to conjure something to trap it in when a blinding flash of light hit him on the back of his neck and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

All three of them whirled around with their wands raised to find a giant of a man glaring at them.

He was dressed like a Muggle peasant but was holding a wand aimed at where Malfoy had been. The only other man of that size Ron had seen was Hagrid. But this one had an even longer beard and bushy brows which made him look like a bear. His voice thundered;

"I COMMAND YOU TO STEP AWAY FROM THE DRAGON."

"ON WHOSE AUTHORITY? WHO ARE YOU?" Ron growled.

"ON HIS" the bear/man spoke as he stepped aside to reveal a bespectacled man standing behind him.

Ron's eyes widened to the point that they were ready to pop out of their sockets.

"Harry? Is that you?"

"Wait. Why are you holding female underwear?"


	9. Plan

**Ch 8: Plan**

 **Bournemouth, Present Day (Day 4)**

"Harry, is that you?"

"Wait, why are you holding female underwear?"

The ecstasy of meeting Ron and Hermione was swiftly replaced by embarrassment as Harry was reminded of the pink lace knickers in his hands. Feeling his face get dangerously hot, he dropped them. He was about to give an explanation but instead, was forced to dodge a hex fired from the wand of the vulture-like man standing next to Ron.

"Mr. Weasley, the man standing before you is a mass murderer. Please proceed accordingly."

He followed up with a rapid series of curses which Harry barely managed to deflect. It was obvious that the man had considerable skill in dueling. Hugh tried to aid Harry by shooting a spell at Harper but it was blocked by Hermione while Ron went on the offense.

"Sorry mate but Harper has a point. I don't believe you blew Gringotts up. But how do I know you are the _real_ Harry and not an imposter?"

Harry felt like hitting himself for not having foreseen this. He could've proved his authenticity earlier in many ways but now; when he was barely able to stay abreast of the alarmingly fast barrage from Harper, his mind drew a complete blank. As Harper hurled another curse at him, Harry deflected it and dove to one side, firing a curse mid-dive, forcing Harper to deflect it at a close range. Harry fired another jinx just as he hit the ground and yelled;

"Hermione, remember McLaggen at the keeper tryouts?"

He didn't have time to see her reaction as Harper had already recovered by then. He could only hope that Hermione had understood him.

To Harry's side, Hugh was simultaneously battling both Ron and Hermione. He was doing remarkably well; some curses that were able to get through his defense bounced harmlessly off his body. Harry was reminded of Hagrid who was similarly immune to minor curses. But Harry could see the beads of perspiration on Hugh's brow. Against two of the best duelers in the country, he wouldn't last very long. There was no time to think now. Harry shot another curse at Harper and followed it up by launching some nearby surfboards at Harper. Harry shot a quick glance at Hermione. He couldn't be sure, but it seemed like she nodded at him. Meanwhile, Harper burst through the surfboards. Desperately hoping that his plan would work, Harry aimed directly at Harper; and screamed;

"Confundus!"

Although a little surprised, Harper managed to cast a shield just in time to deflect Harry's charm. Seeing Harry let his guard down, Harper sought to finish him by firing a last curse but to his surprise, it landed a long ways away from Harry. His face conveyed clear disbelief at having missed. However, before he could do anything else, he was hit by a red bolt from Ron's wand and landed on his stomach a few feet away, his head hitting the ground with a dull crack.

"I have wanted to do that for ages." Ron smiled as he approached Harry.

After the three friends had shared a warm hug, Harry looked at Hugh to find him staring wide-eyed at them. Catching Harry's glance he finally spoke;

"What just happened?"

Harry met Hermione's gaze who blushed and looked away. Harry couldn't help but laugh;

"Back in school, Hermione confounded a certain Cormac McLaggen so that Ron could become the keeper. I used the reference to ask her to non-verbally confound Harper at the same time as me. This way, Ron or Hermione cannot be accused of anything. Harper will think he accidentally hit himself."

After Harry was done speaking, Ron gripped his shoulder and said with mock seriousness;

"Harry, you're like a brother to me but you mention that git's name again and I will knock you out."

All of them burst out laughing except for Hugh, who was still having trouble figuring out what they were talking about. Meanwhile, Harry voiced what he had been meaning to ask for a while now;

How are Ginny and the kids?"

At this, Hermione looked crossly at him.

"She's worried sick about you. Under different circumstances, I would've _dragged_ you home."

Harry managed to ignore his guilt as he spoke next;

"I'm sorry, but I can't go back. Not yet. First, we have to find the person behind these affairs. We have very limited time but I may have a plan."

He produced a flask from his coat. Swirling inside were blue misty forms.

"These are my memories from the day of the Gringotts explosion. I don't remember anything after leaving my home. But I hope you can find something in these Hermione."

He handed the flask over to her and continued;

"On that day, I heard a voice in my head. I can't remember what it said but I am certain it was Voldemort. I wanted to make sure it wasn't a delusion. So, I left home to go to Malfoy Manor. As a former Death Eater, Malfoy's Dark Mark should react if Voldemort is indeed back again. After that, I woke up in the back of Hugh's cart. I don't remember anything in between. "

He said, Introducing Hugh to them.

A hushed silence descended over the company for a moment until Hermione broke it;

"But there is no way; we made sure that we destroyed all his Hocruxes."

Harry nodded.

"That's where a little foreign intelligence comes in."

He glanced at Hugh. The latter had a blank expression for a moment but then, as if remembering something, spoke;

"I am an Auror for MAFUSA and we have an intelligence group dedicated to keeping an eye out for resurfacing magical artifacts. Two years ago, there was a rumor that someone was in possession of one of the fabled Deathly Hallows; the Resurrection Stone. That man was also a former student of Hogwarts by the name of Nathan Claymore. But the investigation didn't get much further."

Hermione interjected;

"But the Resurrection Stone doesn't actually resurrect people. Just summons shades of their being."

A look of realization spread on Ron's face;

"But there are forbidden rituals that bind souls to bodies. Harry himself has seen Voldemort gaining a new body during the Triwizard Tournament. I wouldn't be surprised if this Nathan is some deranged follower who decided it would be a good idea to have his lot running around again."

Harry smiled in agreement;

"Exactly my thoughts Ron. As I said, I have part of a plan. You two can go to Hogwarts and see if you find something in my memories using the Pensieve. I and Hugh here will try to find out as much as we can about this Nathan. I need to take Malfoy with me. I will drop him off at the Shrieking Shack four days from now. We will share what we found out then. At the Ministry, you can act like I got away and you rescued Malfoy. From there, we will work out the rest."

Ron and Hermione nodded. Ron took a look at the dragon, once again sleeping soundly on the beach;

"I will take the dragon to Charlie. Poor thing has suffered enough already."

"Good, maybe he will meet our old friend Norbert." Harry grinned.

"We don't have much time now. Do you have any questions?" Harry enquired finally.

"Yeah, why were you holding those knickers again?" Ron grinned, teasing his friend.

Harry glared up at Hugh;

"I have never been to Bournemouth before so I couldn't Apparate here. This oaf knows the place but he just wouldn't agree to Apparate. So, we decided to use a portkey and Hugh, being as smart as they come, managed to find the most inconvenient object imaginable."

Ron guffawed so loudly, he spooked a few seagulls sitting atop the Ironbelly;

"After all this is over, you're never hearing the end of this mate. Never." He patted Harry's shoulder.

Harry grinned. Then, saying goodbye to his friends, he helped Hugh get Malfoy up on his shoulders and all three of them Disapparated with a loud crack.


	10. Memories

**Ch 9: Memories**

 **Hogwarts, Present Day (Day 4)**

Waiting for the headmistress in her office made Hermione feel nostalgic. Barring the red drapes with golden borders, tapestries depicting lush green valleys and frothing waterfalls, sweet fragrance from flowers in a porcelain vase and a ginger cat taking a nap on the table; the room still resembled Professor Dumbledore's office.

Due to Professor McGonagall's knack for dramatic entrances, Hermione had made sure that the cat on the table was not a tabby with square markings around its eyes. Once satisfied; she took to gently stroking its back. The animal however didn't seem to like it as it shot her an annoyed look, jumped off the table and left the room.

Just as its tail disappeared through the open door, the headmistress entered.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Granger. Please take a seat."

She gestured towards the chair opposite as she took her own seat and spoke again as soon as Hermione was settled.

"How may I help you?"

Hermione slightly flushed as she spoke;

"Good afternoon Professor. I have chanced upon the memories of a crucial witness regarding the Gringotts incident and was hoping to take a look into them through the Pensieve."

During the whole time she had been speaking, Hermione couldn't help feeling a little intimidated by Professor McGonagall's gaze. Her eyes seemed to pierce right through Hermione, another thing that reminded her of Professor Dumbledore.

Once Hermione was done speaking, Professor McGonagall calmly summoned a tray with a kettle and a pair of cups on it. Not once meeting Hermione's gaze, she poured tea into the cups and placed them on a saucer. Then, passing one over to Hermione, she asked calmly;

"Is Mr. Potter well?"

§§§

The shallow stone basin studded with stones looked the same as the last time she had seen it. The misty substance swirling in it looked neither liquid nor gas, much like the contents of the bottle Harry had given her. She uncorked the vial and emptied the blue misty memories into the white contents of the Pensieve and swirled it until she could see faint silhouettes form inside the mixture. She took a deep breath and immersed her head below the swirling white mist and felt it almost immediately. She had never gotten used to it; the sensation of falling one second and then being in someone else's memories the next. Harry said that he found it similar to Disapparation but she had always found it different and quite irritating.

Presently, she found herself walking behind Harry heading to breakfast. She could see James grinning at Harry and little Lily in her cradle. She saw Albus race out of the kitchen with a bewitched spoon gleefully. Behind him, Ginny appeared from the kitchen and summoned the spoon back to her. Before heading back she smiled warmly at Harry which made Hermione's heart sink. If she could only have brought that familiar smile back on her friend's face, if only she could somehow ease her pain…..

Quickly checking herself from getting carried away, she focused on following Harry.

After breakfast; Harry, along with Albus left for Diagon Alley. He had promised to buy Albus his new pet that day.

Albus hopped alongside his father; curious about every new thing he saw. He asked questions about everything. Harry answered his questions while smiling lovingly, probably remembering how amazed he had been on his first visit. They stopped by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes where a very cheerful George welcomed them. He chatted merrily with Harry while showing Albus all the new things he had come up with. As they went about the shop, a boy that looked very similar to Neville when Hermione had first met him accidently set off an Exploding Liquorice Stick ("For troublesome mates with a sweet tooth") and Albus couldn't stop laughing until Harry got it all off his face. The child looked horror-struck and apologized several times to Harry, who assured him it was all right and bought Chocolate Frogs for both the children.

After saying goodbye to George, they continued ahead. Next, they stopped for a while at Eeylops Owl Emporium and appeared with a snowy owl in a large cage. As Harry lugged the cage, a young man approached him.

He claimed to be Florean Fortescue's grandson and invited the both of them for ice-creams as Harry had once been a regular customer of Florean's.

Hermione was certain that this man was lying. For she had been to Diagon Alley just two days ago and was sure that Florean's Ice Cream Parlor was closed. In fact, it had been shut for twelve years!


	11. Interrogation

**Ch 10: Interrogation**

 **Vincent's Farm, Present Day (Day 4)**

"…..and the farmer?"  
"…Will be back by night, until then…."

Draco caught snippets of conversation as he came to. Even through a throbbing headache, he recognized one of the voices as that of his least favourite wizard. The other was deeper, heavier and had a heavy foreign accent. His thoughts were still mixed up but he could vaguely remember being on a beach with a lot of Muggle. And a dragon. Trying to remember anything else caused the pain in his head to spike up again. He groaned.

"Jingle Bells is awake" the heavy accented voice spoke.

Expecting to be attacked, Draco instinctively reached for his wand but instead found that his hands were tied behind his back. He could feel cold metal against his back and coarse ropes digging into his wrists. Now that he noticed it; the air carried a whiff of hay and animal faeces.

"A barn?" He thought.

"I don't want to fight you Malfoy. Just looking for some answers." Harry's voice was accompanied by approaching footsteps.

Carefully, hoping that the pain doesn't worsen, Draco opened his eyes. In front of him was Harry and standing behind him was a giant, bear-like man. Both were in Muggle attire: Harry in light blue jeans and a black jacket with a crimson t-shirt peeking out and the big man in a long black coat, black trousers and heavy leather boots.

"Potter, I see you've finally realized where you belong. With the company you keep, a barn seems only fitting."

Harry wasn't amused;

"I see you've not lost any of your charming character."

Draco shrugged.

"Wounded and pathetic doesn't really suit me."

"Being turned into a tap-dancing weasel might." The big man interjected; producing a long, thin wand from his coat.  
Draco was unaffected;

"Who is the oaf Potter? A criminal? Like you?" He quipped.

For a moment, Harry seemed to be seriously considering the giant's offer of turning Draco into a rodent. But then he shook his head, took a deep breath, looked directly into Draco's eyes and spoke;

"The only reason you are still here is because you ran away from the war twelve years ago. Your cowardice is the sole reason you are still allowed to run your mouth. You're alive because of the Ministry's pity, so choose your next words _very carefully_."

The temperature of the room seemed to drop considerably as he spoke. Even the big man took a step back. Harry's sudden coldness was nerve-wracking; even to Draco.

As if realizing it himself; Harry's face softened a little;

"Listen Malfoy, regardless of what you choose to believe I am not responsible for the deaths at Gringotts. But I am trying the person who is and for that I need your help. If you're willing to quit being a snob for a while, it will be easier for the both of us."

Draco only glared at Harry in response. Taking that as a yes, the latter began;

"Four days ago, I heard a whisper in my head. I know it sounds far-fetched but I am certain it was Voldemort's voice."

He stopped for a moment to let that sink in, then resumed;

"We are all aware the His return to power would pose an immense threat to our world. However, it would also explain some of the recent events. Keeping that in mind and putting all personal issues aside; answer me honestly. Has there been any recent activity in your Dark Mark? It appears faded but I cannot be sure unless you tell me."

Normally, Draco would've been halfway through a duel with Harry by now for mentioning his past. But he could see that Harry's words carried genuine concern. He was serious.

"If the Dark Lord were to return, the Dark Mark would've gotten stronger. As no such thing has happened, it can be confirmed that He hasn't been revived. However, it is not unlikely that The Dark Lord has chosen not to activate The Mark to conceal his presence. In either case, I cannot be of any use to you."

Harry's face was inscrutable. Then he stood up.

"Not that I am fond of your company but you will have to come with us. I promised to drop you off at the Shrieking Shack in four days. You were out cold for most of today so that leaves us with three days. Until then, I cannot give you your wand or untie your hands. Hugh here will give you some food and water. Thank you for your cooperation."

He began walking away but then, as if remembering something; turned back.

"Have you heard anything about the Resurrection Stone recently?"

The puzzled look on Draco's face answered him.

"Never mind that. Do you know a man named Nathan Claymore?"

Draco's jaw tightened;

"Unfortunately, yes."


	12. Slaughter

**Ch 11: Slaughter**

 **Privet Drive, One Day Ago (Day 3)**

Midday at Privet Drive usually saw the residents proudly fawning over their gardens. But today, there wasn't a soul in sight. No children playing on the streets, no stray dogs hunting for scraps and no sound of televisions from the open windows. Everything was quiet, quite like the beginning of one of the horror movies Muggles were so fond of.

Presently, a cloaked man appeared on the street with a soft pop.

The gentle breeze ruffled tufts of graying hair from his balding head and swayed his emerald cloak. He had to be six feet tall and was slightly obese. Old age was gradually taking over him; sunken cheekbones, wrinkles surrounding his eyes and his unkempt gray stubble were proof of this. But one could sense intelligence in the gaze of his blue eyes as he keenly observed his vicinity.

Just half a minute or so after his appearance; three more men appeared with pops. They were in similar attire save for brown, hats pulled low over their faces. However, it was clear that they were his subordinates. The trio was much younger than him. One of them stepped closer to the older man and spoke formally;

"Apologies for the delay Chief Blake. Obliviators Waller, Jackson and Crawford reporting for duty."

Blake nodded curtly in acknowledgement.

"Waller, was it? I can't seem to recall which house we were assigned to. Do you remember the address?"

"Yes sir. We have gotten reports of Muggles seeing strange things in the neighborhood which could only be explained through the use of magic. The events seemed to be stemming from one home in particular. That is the house we have been sent to investigate. Number Four."

Still surveying the houses, Blake enquired;

"Hmm. And the Muggles? Where are they? The place seems strangely quiet."

Waller hesitated a little before speaking;

"I don't know sir. That was not part of our briefing."

Blake said nothing but began walking towards Number Four with the other three in tow.

§§§

Five hours had passed since their arrival. Blake currently stood in the driveway of Number Four waiting for the rest to return. So far, their investigation had yielded no results.

After they had found the house completely empty with no signs of Muggle burglary or magic; Blake had asked the trio to check all the houses in the vicinity and look for signs of traps or illusions. Presently, they returned to him. It was clear that they had found nothing of the sort. Now even Blake felt puzzled. In his decades of service to the Ministry as an Obliviator, he had never once come across anything like this. He could make neither head nor tail of the matter. Maybe there was some mistake with the address.

But for some reason, his gut was telling him that something was horribly wrong. He couldn't help feeling that something was coming and that it was nothing good. His experience said that there was only one possible course of action right now.

"Boys, I have no idea what is going on but I have a feeling staying here will not do us any good. For now let's report back to the Ministry and, if necessary, return with a plan."

His words were met by swift nods of the other men. Perhaps, their instincts were saying something similar. Blake was just about to Disapparate when a soft pop and a puff of displaced air on his face made him open his eyes. Surely enough, Simmons; another senior Obliviator was now standing in front of him. Blake was perplexed; he distinctly remembered that Simmons was supposed to be on another location right now. Waller and the rest also looked equally confused. But before they could say anything, another Obliviator appeared with a soft pop.

And another, and another. All around them dozens of people kept appearing until the street was filled with wizards in white clothes gawking blankly at one another.

If he had been confused before, Blake was astonished now. He counted the heads.

"72, 73, 74 and 75" he gulped nervously.

"What is the entire Department doing here?" he thought.

Behind him, Waller seemed to have found his voice again;

"Sir Simmons, what is your squad here for?"

Simmons; who was equally surprised at, uttered;

"We received direct orders via owl post from the Minister saying that something unusual had taken place here and your squad needed back-up."

Waller was about to ask another squad when Blake stopped him.

"They are all here for the same reason."

Blake's mind was in over-drive. There was no possible reason he could think of for the Minister to ask the entire Department to converge at one spot. There was only one possible conclusion;

"The orders were somehow faked to get us all in one place. That much was clear."

He stated to the dumbfounded people around him. No one said anything.

"But why?" Blake thought.

Getting so many trained Ministry personnel in one place was foolhardy. This had to a distraction. But, what could be the goal? They would still receive news if anything else happened at the Ministry. Besides, there are more than enough Aurors to fend off an attack.

So, what could it be? He didn't want to consider it but there was only one other possibility.

Could it really be? A Dark Wizard powerful enough to…?

It seemed impossible. But right now, Blake didn't want to know the answer.

"Everyone" he shrieked "DISAPPARATE! Get back to the Ministry right now!"

Saying these words, he pictured the Ministry clearly in his mind and turned on the spot.

But nothing happened.

When he opened his eyes, he was still in Privet Drive along with everyone else.

"An Anti-Apparition Charm?" he heard Waller squeak from behind him.

" **Indeed**."

Blake felt like a cold blade had just pierced his mind. Such was the voice he had heard right now. Apparently, the others had felt it too; the voice of a man, but barely. Moreover, the voice was in their heads. No one was speaking; it was just…..present. A feeling of foreboding filled Blake. Adrenaline flushed through his system; his chest constricted and his heart pumped rapidly. He clutched his wand tighter than he had ever done and readied himself.

As if on cue, a figure appeared on the corner of the street in front of them. As tall, if not taller than Blake and much thinner. Clad in a hooded black cloak falling to the ground giving the impression that he was levitating rather than walking. With the man's appearance, the air started raging furiously. It cut easily through their robes and seemed to pierce their hearts.

As the man walked; two objects materialized behind him in mid-air. A few of the officials took a step back, horrified.

The man was now followed by two enormous wooden crucifixes with live Muggle bodies bound to them!

Vernon and Petunia Dursley were barely conscious; kept in that state through the use of magic. Their limbs and midriff were impaled on the cross by dark, pointed metal shards glistening with fresh blood. Having lost all motor functions due to sever blood loss long ago, all they could do was cry out because of unbearable pain. Their blood dripped on the ground; forming a trail flanking the man walking in front of them.

A sickening feeling filled Blake. This was like nothing he had even thought of. He tried to lift his wand but felt like his arm had been stabbed with an ice shard. The hooded figure stopped and looked directly at him.

" **Do you find this disturbing?** " he heard the voice in his head again.

He found that his lips refused to move either. Everyone else appeared to be in the same state as well.

A Legilimens strong enough to paralyze such a huge number of people at once was unheard of. Although, he couldn't see beneath the hood, he could feel the man's glee in his mind. The monster was smiling.

Blake felt angry and helpless at the same time.

"What are you doing? Is this some ritual?" he thought.

Cold laughter echoed in Blake's mind.

" **Ritual? You think this is Necromancy? No, this is just…how do you say it?** **Aah yes,** **fun."**

Hearing that made Blake's blood run cold. Once again, the man seemed to take pleasure in Blake's fear.

" **Do you wish to see?** "

Blake's eyes opened wider against his will. By now, every other Obliviator was trembling in terror.

Presently, the man casually flicked the wand clasped in his long pale fingers and two more dark metal shards emerged in mid-air. The man moved his hand forward and the metal pieces moved followed it. He stopped them right in between the Muggles' eyes and then; went on.

The pieces easily tore through flesh and proceeded to dig into their skulls. All the while, the victims screamed helplessly and the Obliviators could do nothing but watch. After the torture seemed to stretch on for days; a time came when the screaming stopped and the bodies hung on the crucifixes, limp and lifeless. All the while, multiple fresh streams of blood dripped on the ground.

Once more, Blake's head was filled with gut-wrenching laughter. Like they had appeared; the crucifixes faded back into thin air.

" **See?** " the man turned to face all of them now.

" **Fun, right?** "

" **As a reward for sharing in my joy, I'll let you in on a little secret.** "

" **You're all next!"**


	13. Summons

**Ch 12: Summons**

 **Ministry Of magic, Present day (Day 4)**

For the second time in four days, Ron had been summoned by the Minister of Magic. However, this time he was alone. The heavy rain lashing against the windows was in complete contrast to the quiet inside the almost deserted premises of the Ministry. It was unusual that not a soul was in sight; especially at a time like this.

But Ron couldn't help but ponder about what Hermione had found in Harry's memories. Having been called to see the Minister, he hadn't been able to go with her to Hogwarts. Lost amidst all the questions in his mind, he didn't notice that the door had opened until a tiny squeak hailed him;

"Mr. Weasley, the Minister will see you now."

Startled; he looked around to find a house-elf scuttling off with a tray. Through the now open door to the Minister's chambers, he could see two figures. Kingsley Shacklebolt was listening attentively to another man who was sitting with his back to Ron. But as Ron entered the room; the man went silent and tilted his head up with visible discomfort. The sharp, beady eyes on his vulture-like face made Ron's gut tighten up.

"Good afternoon Mr. Weasley." Harper hissed.

Ron's throat dried up.

"Harper, I hope you are….um…doing well?"

"Could be better." The latter croaked, massaging his neck.

"Please take a seat, Mr. Weasley." The Minister's voice somewhat dissipated the tension between the other two men.

Ron nodded and took the chair next to Harper. Kingsley turned to Harper;

"I will address your concerns as soon as possible Mr. Harper. You may leave for now."

Harper rose reluctantly and shot an angry glance at Ron before proceeding to limp out of the room. He was about halfway through when Kingsley's voice stopped him;

"I believe you are forgetting something."

Harper tensed up a little. Without waiting for his response, The Minister pointed his wand at the chair previously occupied by Harper. A tiny black object immediately materialized on it. A casual flick of his wand sent it flying into Harper's hands. The latter looked astonished; but covered up his emotions quickly with an apologetic smile;

"I must have accidentally dropped it there."

"Yes, of course. I too have a habit of accidentally dropping invisible spying devices."

The smile vanished from Harper's eyes. For the first time, Ron saw the calm disappear from Kingsley Shacklebolt's eyes. In a split second, it was replaced by a piercing gaze that would have terrified any man subjected to it. Harper looked visibly shaken.

"You may be my senior as an Auror Leonard, but you were never my superior. The next time you try to spy on my activities, you will find out why. **Leave**."

Harper didn't need to be told twice. He staggered out as if he was being chased by a pack of ravenous werewolves.

"Can't blame him." Ron thought once Harper was gone.

He had known Kingsley for years but had never witnessed this side of him until today. And he never wanted to see it ever again.

Kingsley closed his eyes and exhaled loudly. His usual composure had returned when he opened them again. He looked like he was about to say something to Ron but was stopped by the fireplace bursting into emerald flames.

To Ron's surprise; Hermione stepped out of it, carrying the Pensieve in her hands. The Minister nodded to acknowledge her;

"Right on time Hermione, please take a seat. I have something very important to discuss with the both of you. The contents of this discussion will remain between the three of us. Understood?"

The duo nodded.

"I see Headmistress McGonagall has been kind enough to lend us the Pensieve at such short notice. We shall need it." He said, looking at the basin in Hermione's hands.

Looking as baffled as Ron, Hermione sat down and set the Pensieve on the table. Meanwhile, Kingsley produced a vial with blue misty forms swirling in it.

"Let's get started then."


	14. Theory

**Ch 13: Theory**

 **Ministry Of Magic, Present Day (Day 4)**

"Before we begin, I need you to answer some questions."

Even as Kingsley said these words, Ron's throat dried up. He knew where this was going and sure enough, the Minister's piercing gaze was set on him;

"Are the two of you helping Harry?"

For a brief moment, Ron considered lying as there was no evidence against them. But the unsettling feeling that Kingsley could see right through him kept Ron rooted to his spot. Beside him Hermione stiffened. Finally Kingsley sighed;

"Never mind. I already know the answer to that question."

His face relaxed a little.

"I'm not condemning you. I believe Harry is innocent too but it is my job as Minister of Magic to ensure justice. I won't stop you. However, I would've felt better if you had told me about this beforehand."

Relief washed over Ron. He had half expected to be thrown into Azkaban for treason. He was about to apologize but Kingsley raised his hand;

"Let's put this behind us. But from this moment forth I request your _complete_ co-operation and honesty. Also keep this conversation a secret; even from Harry should you meet him again."

Hermione and Ron nodded a little hesitantly. The Minister looked assured. He set the vial down on the table and spoke again;

"First of all, I would like to know everything about Harry's plan. If you want, you can leave out details about your rendezvous point to keep him safe. It is imperative that I know of every other detail."

§§§

Once Hermione had finished telling him everything, Kingsley sat silently for a moment; contemplating the information. His eyes darted towards the smooth glowing surface of the Pensieve. Seeing her chance, Hermione chimed in;

"Based on the memories he gave me, I can prove his innocence."

Both pairs of eyes locked onto her in disbelief.

"Shouldn't you have led with that?" Ron quipped.

Hermione flushed a little.

"There is still a lack of information. I was planning to gain some proof with Ron's help before taking any measures. Also, to be honest I wasn't sure you would-"

She paused for a moment and then resumed;

"What I mean is; I have a highly probable hypothesis that could explain the events of Gringotts to some extent. Perhaps it would be better if I just show you."

She swirled the contents of the Pensieve with her wand until it glowed bright and then immersed her head into the basin.

§§§

Hermione, Ron and Kingsley had just seen Harry and Albus walk out of Eeylops Owl Emporium. As they walked a few steps forward, Hermione pointed to a man approaching Harry and Albus. He was taller than Harry and was well-built. His ash brown hair sat in a neat side part atop his head. Even while wearing an apron above a simple white shirt and brown pants; he was a very attractive man.

Shortly after introducing himself as the current owner of Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlor, he invited them for some ice-cream as Harry had once been a regular customer of his grandfather's. As they followed the trio, Hermione explained;

"That man is lying. I am certain that Florean had no next of kin. After Florean's disappearance; the parlor has remained closed for more than a decade."

A few minutes later, Albus was gulfing down his third sundae having only stopped once to taste some the flavor his father had gotten. But, he seemed to have decided that his was better. Harry was halfway through his ice-cream. He was talking to the third man. The conversation was mostly small talk; nothing unusual.

Presently, the man excused himself to go to the kitchen and rose up with the tray he had used to serve them in hand. While walking past Harry he accidentally struck the latter's head with the tray. Alarmed; his elbow hit a flower vase while attempting to turn; sending it crashing to the floor. The man placed his hand on the back of Harry's head and apologized repeatedly. He only left when Harry had assured him that he was fine.

"That should be enough." Hermione said while producing her wand from her robes. She swished it and they felt a familiar falling sensation.

§§§

Now, they were once again in the Minister's chambers. Ron still had no idea what had just happened but he could see a hint of understanding on Kingsley's face. Seeing the puzzled look on his face, Hermione smiled;

"As I said before, he was lying about his identity. Everything that followed was according to his plan, except-"

"The flower vase." Kingsley interjected.

Hermione nodded.

"Precisely. If Harry is innocent, then someone else must have been masquerading as him at Gringotts. This can only be achieved through the use of Polyjuice Potion and that would require a few strands of Harry's hair. This was all devised to obtain that ingredient. Apart from the flower vase—"

"But it could've been a distraction." Ron interjected this time.

"What makes you say it was a mistake and not deliberate?"

He was answered by Kingsley;

"His response to it."

"But he didn't do anything regarding it."

"That's the point. It would've made the job easier if he had dropped it on purpose and fussed over it. He could've snagged hair out of Harry's head in the meantime. The fact that he didn't do so shows that it was a mistake. Also, a shop owner not caring about his own things could've easily made Harry suspicious of his identity. While everything else was perfectly played out, this was clearly a mistake."

Before Ron could say anything else, Hermione stopped him;

"Which brings me to the next part of my theory. It is natural human tendency to react to external stimuli; like touching a hot object or hearing a loud noise. But this man showed no signs of even registering that the vase had fallen. This lack of response to stimuli is only seen in Muggles with certain ailments, people under the effect of a few special potions, the person being unconscious, partially conscious or, as in this case; not being in control of one's own mind."

"Do you mean that he was under The Imperius Curse?" Kingsley inquired.

Hermione nodded before speaking;

"But that's not all. I thought his face looked familiar so I went through Hogwarts student records."

She produced a piece of yellowing parchment from her robes and unfolded it. The boy beaming up at them from the parchment was definitely the man they had seen in Harry's memories. Albeit, a much younger version.

"Nathan Claymore." She passed it on to Kingsley who read it carefully.

"Harry mentioned a person of the same name at Bournemouth. This man was rumored to be in possession of the Resurrection Stone two years ago." Ron recalled.

Hermione nodded;

"That's all I could find out."

There were times when Ron wanted to smack her for being so damn smart but right now, he couldn't feel more grateful for having married the Hermione.

Meanwhile, Kingsley shot a glance on the vial he had placed on the table a while ago. His expression hardened.

"Extraordinary work Hermione, as expected of the brightest witch of her age. However, I want you to understand that the reason I wanted to know everything was because of very grave circumstances which have recently developed. Ever since Gringotts, I have been expecting the culprit to make another move. But I admit that I didn't expect something of this magnitude."

He uncorked the vial and poured its misty contents into the Pensieve. Once he had swirled the contents to give the desired result, he gestured for them to watch the memories with him.

"I shall explain everything. But first, we must find out whose memories these are and what secrets they contain."


	15. Threat

**Ch 14: Threat**

 **Ministry Of Magic, Present Day (Day 4)**

"An Anti-apparition Charm?" the one called Waller squeaked from beside Ron.

He was easily younger than Ron and had eyes that had been bright and kind when Ron had first seen him. But now, they were wide with fear. Hermione and Kingsley were still looking keenly at the Obliviators ahead.

The memories Kingsley had brought had led them straight to the lawn of Number Four, Privet Drive. As surprised as they had been to be there; it was quickly exceeded by their curiosity about the bizarre events that followed. Starting with one unit, the entire street was now filled with what Blake; the person whose memories they were now in, had claimed to be the _entire department_ of Obliviators at the Ministry's disposal! All of them claimed to have received direct orders from the Minister but the look on Kingsley's face told Ron otherwise. The Obliviators had tried to Disapparate only to find that an Anti-apparition Charm had been cast in the area.

In the last four days; Gringotts had blown up, Harry had been declared a criminal, one of the Deathly Hallows had resurfaced, Voldemort could be on the rise again, a five-tonne dragon had threatened the exposure of the Magical World by deciding to take a nap on a beach full of Muggles and Ron had actually found someone he loathed more than Malfoy. But even by those standards, this had to be the most bizarre thing he had seen this week.

"Just what is going on?" he muttered under his breath.

He was answered by a voice that sent a chill down his spine.

" **Indeed** " it said.

While Ron had only found it mildly unpleasant, Waller winced. A few others grasped their foreheads. It seemed like the voice was in their head. Occlumency. But it couldn't be…

For some reason, a feeling of dread arose in his gut. In front of him, Hermione's eyes had gone wide. Even Kingsley looked stunned. For a brief moment, the entire street was silent save for heavy breathing from the Obliviators.

Then, a figure materialized about fifty meters ahead of them. Tall and thin, shrouded in a hooded cloak as black as night and with long, pale fingers loosely curled around an ivory wand. The hood fell over his face so that a dark hole appeared to be sitting atop his body. His cloak fell to the ground giving the impression that he was levitating. Excluding a silver scythe, it looked as if Death itself had come for them.

He approached them leisurely. The air above him seemed to shift with every step. It gradually attained the shape of two enormous wooden crucifixes and on them—

Hermione gasped and took a step back. On the crucifixes; impaled on the wood by large shards of a dark metal, were Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

§§§

Ron couldn't believe what he had just seen right now. Right in front of them; the man had pierced the Dursleys' skulls with the same dark metal that had been holding them to the crucifixes without the slightest hint of remorse. Instead, he had called it 'fun', as if human lives were some toy he could play with and discard at will.

Pure horror was on the faces of everyone around. Even without Occlumency; nobody could've moved from their spot after witnessing what they had.

Currently, the man turned to the Obliviators.

" **See?** "

" **Fun, right?** "

" **As a reward for sharing in my joy, I'll let you in on a little secret.** "

" **You're all next!"**

With another casual flick of his wand; hundreds of razor-sharp metal projectiles materialized around him in mid-air. Ron didn't need to see his face to understand that the man was leering. Waller now had tears in his eyes. His body was trembling; desperately trying to somehow break free of the man's control.

" **Oh?** " the man's gaze locked onto him.

" **You seem especially scared. Young too**."

He walked closer as he spoke; Waller winced with every step he took as if the presence was physically hurting him. By the time the man was in front on him, Waller was down on his knees; blood dripping from his nose.

" **What's wrong? Does it hurt**?" the delight in the man's voice was nauseating.

He pointed his wand at Waller and tilted it upward so that Waller was now looking up at him. A stream of blood was gushing down from his nose. His tears were flowing faster than before.

" **So it does hurt**." The man spoke with mock concern.

" **Do you perhaps want me—to make it go away?** " he crouched down; bringing his hooded face within inches of Waller's.

Along with him, one of the metal pieces closed in; pausing with its tip half an inch from Waller's right eye.

" **Do you?** "

Ron felt like he was about to be sick.

The man slowly tilted his wand downwards, making Waller's head go down and the metal piece shifted along with it. He stopped when Waller was facing the ground and then stood up. He looked at the other Obliviators, forcing them all to look at Waller through Occlumency. Many of them had tears streaming down their faces too.

" **Did you see that? He nodded."**

Ron felt his sickening delight flair up again.

" **I'll take that as a yes**."

With that he flicked his wand; launching the metal straight through Waller's eyes, lifting his control long enough to make the street echo with the Obliviator's screams.

When the screams were over and the young Obliviator lay slumped in a pool of his own blood; the man was already standing in front of Blake.

" **You should suffice**." He said as if apprehending a piece of furniture.

'Then he swished his wand; launching all the remaining metal projectiles into the bodies of the Obliviators. No sooner had the corpses hit the ground that he pressed his wand to Blake's chest and whispered;

" **Crucio!** "

The response was immediate. Blake was writhing in unbearable agony on the ground while the disturbing laughter of the man filled the air. He repeated the spell a few more times until Blake was all but dead and then stopped. Then, he lifted his head to look straight to where Kingsley was standing.

" **Kingsley Shacklebolt. I've heard a lot about you and your so-called Order of the Phoenix. If the tales of your heroics are true, you shall make intriguing opponents indeed. I would love to personally kill every single wizard in this country**."

Judging by what he had just seen, Ron believed every word the man said.

" **But for now, I will settle for the Boy Who Lived**."

" **I promise you that** **they won't be calling him that when I'm done with him. And you will be helpless to stop me. But, when that's over, I am coming for you and all your lackeys. Pray that you die before then because this—** "

He pressed his wand to Blake's forehead.

"— **is just the beginning**."

The world faded in a blinding green flash.


	16. Disguise

**Ch 15: Disguise**

 **Somewhere in London, Present Day (Day 5)**

"Hey Hairy." Hugh grinned as he hunkered down into the car seat next to Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes at him and went back to enchanting the car to drive itself. His face stared back at him from a newspaper on the dashboard with the words; "WANTED!" printed in huge, bold letters above it. Due to some incident two days ago; the details of which were still unknown to him, he had now become a fugitive in both the Wizarding as well as the Muggle world.

It reminded him of the time every corner in Diagon Alley had flyers with his face below "UNDESIRABLE NO.1" printed in a similar fashion. With this newly gained distinction; it would've been a real pain to avoid drawing attention, especially without access to Polyjuice Potion or a mode of transport. But Hugh had found a way by using Muggle disguise and vehicles.

Harry was now dressed in loose pants and a green t-shirt with an elf on it over a tattered brown coat reeking of alcohol. Hugh had also come up with a way to hide Harry's face by burying it under locks of ginger hair and a great beard hanging down to his chest. As a result, Harry looked like Santa Clause having a mid-life crisis.

Hugh himself was clad in a sap green coat which fell over his entire frame excluding thick, black boots. To Harry's disbelief, he had also succeeded in finding a hat big enough for his head.

With the enchantments complete; the car coughed to life and began ambling through the street. Harry now turned his attention to the back seat where Draco was glaring at him with his hands bound behind his back. Since his face wasn't in the papers; Harry had decided to just change his attire. Draco was now in blue jeans and a grey sweatshirt. The outfit complimented him. But with messy hair and a permanent scowl on his face, he looked like a sullen teenager.

"Billions of people on the planet Potter, and yet you manage to find the most irksome ones." He muttered, looking at Hugh.

"Hey Jingle Bells, I forgot you were here too." Hugh swiveled his head back to look at the Draco.

The latter clearly hated the nickname. But he said nothing. Instead, he exhaled deeply and fixed a longing gaze on the glove compartment where his wand was currently resting.

"So, where are we heading off to?" Hugh turned his attention back to Harry.

"Well, this Nathan apparently met Malfoy two weeks ago. Why and where are still unknown to us." Harry shifted his gaze shortly at Malfoy who still pretended to be looking out the window.

"However" Harry continued,

"He was kind enough to provide Malfoy, and inadvertently us, with an address. That's where I'm hoping to take us if I can get this wretched car to work properly."

§§§

"Will you stop that?" Draco finally snapped after the fifth time Hugh had taken up drumming the dashboard while humming a tune.

"Huh?" Hugh gave him a puzzled look.

"Stop making a ruckus. "

"If you're keeping me hostage, at least let me have some peace."

Hugh looked at his hands and seemed to realize what Draco was talking about.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was doing that." He took his hands off the dashboard.

Meanwhile, Harry; who had been previously sleeping with his head resting on his hands over the steering wheel, woke up with a start. He looked around wildly for a moment before his eyes focused. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

"You all right Harry?" Hugh said, concerned.

The latter merely nodded weakly and kept his eyes on the road ahead.

"I've been noticing you toss around and mumble in your sleep lately. You wake up in cold sweat after dozing off in the middle of the day and clam up whenever I ask you about it. What's going on?"

Harry was silent.

Just when Hugh opened his mouth to speak again, Harry pointed in front of him.

"We are here."


	17. Claymore

**Ch 16: Claymore**

 **Ruins of Claymore Manor, Present Day (Day 5)**

The car stopped just short of what must have been the gate to the Claymore Manor. Currently however, it was a rusted brown metal frame with deformed edges among heaps of scattered rubble. Whatever was left of the Manor could be seen about ten feet ahead. It could only be described as a pitiable sight; its door had fallen off long ago. Few of the pillars supporting the structure had collapsed; taking the entire left wing of the Manor with them. Vegetation covered most of the walls, the remaining were cracked and blackened. All the windows were broken into and some still had tatters of burnt curtains. Quickly fading sunlight and a chilly breeze only added to the ominous feeling that they were in one of the horror movies Muggles enjoyed.

"Are you sure this is where he lives? Maybe it's just me but I don't see a rich, evil villain living here." Hugh asked Draco skeptically.

Draco pointed to a section of the rusted gate in response. On turning his gaze to where Draco was pointing; Hugh could make out an elliptical shape, the insides of which were a bit lighter than the rest of the gate. Inside it; faintly visible, was a wand crossed over a ceremonial long-sword.

"The Claymore House Crest. No mistaking it." Draco said.

"Let's go then; I will bewitch the car to keep driving until fuel runs out so that no one can follow us." Harry spoke while stepping out of the car. Hugh followed him.

Harry opened the door to allow Draco to come out. The latter, however, remained firmly seated.

"Malfoy, step out of the car."

"No."

"This is no time to play games, come out."

"No. I leave the rest to you clowns. Make it quick" Draco repeated dismissively.

Hugh, meanwhile, had come around and now stood beside Harry;

"You are the one that brought us here. You are also the only one who can identify Nathan. So, stop being a baby and come with us."

"Tall, brown-haired brat with a fair complexion. Have fun." Draco glowered up at him.

"Malfoy, step out of the car, _now._ " Harry said impatiently.

Malfoy looked straight into Harry's eyes, scowled and, said adamantly;

"I'm. Not. Going. Anywhere."

§§§

"Like the place?" Hugh smirked.

"Bite me." Draco snarled.

"I'm afraid he actually might." Harry quipped while looking around.

The trio had entered the Claymore Manor and was currently walking side-by-side (Harry and Hugh flanking Draco to prevent him from escaping) through the vestibule. Few beams of moonlight had illuminated their path until a crumbling section of the roof had blocked it. They were completely in the dark now.

"Lumos" both Harry and Hugh muttered and their wand tips lit up with a faint silvery light.

After they had walked a few more steps; a stone statue came into view. It was about six-feet tall but the pedestal it was on was about half its height, making the whole structure loom over them (with the exception of Hugh, who came up to the shoulder of the structure)threateningly. On directing their wands towards its face, they recognized it at once.

"Merlin" Harry blurted out.

"But that would mean-"

"Yes, Potter." Draco interrupted Harry;

"That means the Claymores are _direct_ descendants of Merlin himself."

He continued nonchalantly;

"Most descendants of Merlin are members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight (wizard families comprising fully of Pure-Bloods). However, due to an early ancestor of the Claymores marrying into a Muggle family, they were exempted from the Upper Classes sometime in the 1800s. Along with their social status, their wealth also declined rapidly. With the fools refusing to change their lavish lifestyles, rambling on about integrity and honour, they couldn't fill their coffers even nearly as fast were being emptied…"

He paused for a breath and then resumed;

"As a result, they were close to bankruptcy when Nathan joined Hogwarts three years after us. Both his parents were Aurors for the Ministry. They gained rapid success at their jobs too. For the first time in centuries, their fortunes seemed to be changing. Until…"

Harry could see Draco clench his fist when he spoke again. His voice fell to little more than a whisper;

"Until the Second Wizarding War broke out. As Aurors, they sided against the Dark Lord and paid the price with their lives. Burned down along with their home I hear. Shortly after, Nathan went missing during the Battle of Hogwarts. He was found unconscious near the Forbidden Forest the day after. Believe it or not, his life went downhill even after that. His kin refused to adopt him. With no guardians and no home, he was presumed to be dead. That is, until he showed up at my home a fortnight ago."

"Yes, I tend to do my research on people who come back from the dead after eleven years,"

He quipped irritably at Hugh, who had a bewildered look on his face.

"Well, I must say that was very impressive, Mr. Malfoy." A croaky voice arose from somewhere behind them.

Startled, all three of them spun around, Harry and Hugh had their wands at the ready. Standing on the top of a staircase behind them; clad in white linen robes, was Nathan Claymore. Although he matched Draco's description, he was a complete contrast to the man Draco had met. He was a lot thinner and his skin was sickly pale. Clumps of his hair had fallen off, his eyes had dark circles beneath them and his cheeks had sunken in. There was a wild look in his eyes. His smile, which had previously enhanced his handsome features, could now only be called a ghostly grin. All these features combined made him look no less than a vampire.

"Wait, I met you in Diagon Alley last week. Aren't you Florean Fortescue's grandson?" Remembering the encounter; Harry blurted out, confused.

"Florean Fortescue? He had no next of kin. His Parlor has remained closed for more than a decade now. It must have some kind of distraction." Draco said, not taking his eyes off Nathan.

"Indeed. Two for two Mr. Malfoy. I underestimated you. You're smarter than I thought. But I can't say the same for Mr. Potter." Nathan grinned slyly at Harry.

"I think I'll like you better petrified." Hugh growled.

"There's no need for that. Calm down…." He surveyed Hugh for a moment before resuming,

"…creature."

"As you can see, I am outnumbered and unarmed. Besides, I am sure you didn't go through the trouble of finding me without a reason. So, why don't we sit and talk this out in a civilized manner."

He shot another quick, sly grin at them and gestured towards an open room behind him. Without waiting for them to follow, he entered it. As soon as they had all entered, Hugh closed the door behind him and muttered something under his breath.

"Now, you can't leave without giving us the answers we want."

Now there was a different, fierce, look in his eyes. Nathan was unfazed. This further provoked Hugh. He aimed his wand straight at Nathan's neck and spoke in a commanding snarl;

"Marcus Renner, tell me everything you know about him."

The grin on the latter's face only grew wider at the mention of the name.

"Never heard of him." He croaked, looking amused.

Hugh stepped dangerously close to him. His voice dropping to barely more than a chilling whisper;

"Don't. Tempt. Me."

"I am capable of torture your twisted mind can't even begin to comprehend. By the time I'm done; being barely alive will be the least of your problems. You will sing your deepest, darkest secrets to me all the while pleading to receive the sweet release of death in return."

"Try me." Nathan challenged, the grin disappearing from his face.

Hugh's eyes flickered dangerously. He gripped his wand tighter, hands shaking. He looked like he was actually about kill Nathan. Realizing thus, Harry snapped out of the shocked state he was in due to Hugh's sudden change;

"Hugh! Lower your wand. There is no need for this."

"Look closely at his eyes."

Hugh's gaze shot up to Nathan's eyes. To his surprise, the man's eyes were glazed over, unfocused.

Hugh's eyes widened, as if coming out of a trance. He lowered his wand slowly and stepped back.

Nathan kept his gaze on Hugh, amused;

"Interesting" he muttered.

Harry took a breath of relief;

"He's under the Imperius Curse. I just noticed. The spell caster is the one speaking to us."

Harry stated while gesturing Hugh to a chair beside him. Draco remained standing. Once Hugh was seated, Harry enquired;

"That day at Diagon Alley. You used Nathan to get something from me for a Polyjuice Potion, correct?"

Nathan grinned and nodded.

"The Resurrection Stone. Nathan must have found it twelve years ago in the Forbidden Forest where I dropped it. You're trying to use it to bring back Voldemort. I guessed that much. But the incident at Gringotts using Muggle explosives. How does that play a role in all this? Wouldn't your master punish you for relying on Muggle technology?"

Harry finished, still eyeing Hugh.

Meanwhile, the sly grin reappeared on Nathan's face, soon changing into a haunting cackle;

"You haven't figured that part out yet, have you? To think of all the time I gave you."

"I thought I was seeing some of the quick thinking I have heard about. But it appears that I really overestimated you Potter. Like everyone else, your vision is limited. How disappointing."

"Even after listening to what this Claymore brat said to Malfoy-"

He paused on seeing a confused look appear on Harry's face. Then realization struck him;

"Malfoy. Of course. You didn't tell him. I should've known"

He now spoke to Malfoy, who refused to meet Harry's eyes.

"Never mind that now. My offer still stands Malfoy. You can simply accept it and bear witness to a new world. As a king."

He spread his arms, as if anticipating the glory of a victory he was soon about to achieve. Unlike him, Draco wasn't amused at that prospect;

"I gave you an answer that day and that answer stands even now. Your madness will cost you dearly and I am not foolish enough to be standing beside you when it does."

Nathan glowered at Malfoy, a dark shadow crossing his face. A sleek, black wand slipped into his palm from the sleeves of his robes;

"Well then, you should be prepared for the consequences."

"Poor Scorpius-"

Draco's usual coolness immediately gave way to fury;

"DO NOT BEFOUL MY SON'S NAME WITH YOUR FILTHY TONGUE. YOU STEP ONE FOOT IN MALFOY MANOR AND I—"

"GET DOWN" Hugh suddenly screamed, diving to tackle both Harry and Draco to the ground.

Before anyone even had a chance to register what had just happened, a deafening blast shook the room. Debris flew everywhere, and the ceiling began to collapse. The impact had launched them in the air along with fragments of the furniture. A wooden plank hit Harry's head, knocking him unconscious.

§§§

When Harry came to, Hugh was clutching him by the waist. He could hear multiple blasts, the vibrations of which could be felt through the ground. Hugh was hunkered down against a wall, his other hand gripping his wand tightly.

"Where's Draco?" Harry could only whisper weakly through his throbbing headache.

"Huh? You're awake? Sorry, I lost hold of him when we were launched in the air. Haven't seen him or Claymore since."

Harry produced his own wand and sat up against the wall.

"What's going on? How long was I out?"

"About three minutes. I set a charm on the door so that I would know if somebody tried to come in or go out. The signal came just before the room was decimated and they came. It should've come earlier. My magic is not as strong as it should be."

He said, looking at his wand.

"Who are 'they'?" Harry surveyed the surroundings, trying to stem the blood flowing from his forehead.

"Reapers. A unit of extremely talented Aurors directly under the command of the MAFUSA elites."

Hugh informed him.

"Reapers? I have never heard of them."

"That's because they don't officially exist. They are a newly-formed covert group."

"Even if that's true, why are they blasting an abandoned manor in London to pieces?" Harry was having a hard time making sense of Hugh's words.

"The Reapers specialize in operating from the shadows. They are not so rash as to make a ruckus during an operation."

"I'm guessing it was a trap set by Claymore. Meant to prevent us from getting out.

"Anyway, what matters is that The Reapers are here and they are _really_ strong. This unit especially consists of their elite members. We have to get out of here. _Now."_

He whispered urgently and summoned a broken cup from the floor.

"Portus" he muttered.

"Wait. If they are such a well-kept secret, how do you know so much about them?" a weird feeling arose in Harry's gut.

"Because I am one of them."

Hugh grabbed Harry's hand and placed it on the cup. These words echoed in Harry's mind as the familiar sensation of falling indefinitely gripped him.


	18. Return

**Ch 17: Return**

 **Bournemouth, Present Day (Day 6)**

Still a little dazed, Harry opened his eyes to find himself back on the beach from three days ago. This was the place he had last met Ron and Hermione with a promise to meet again at the Shrieking Shack tomorrow. Like that time, an enormous Muggle crowd was gathered at the beach. However, unlike last time, there wasn't a dragon resting there.

"Harry?"

He felt as if Hugh's voice was coming from some far off place even though he was standing right next to Harry.

Having received no response; Hugh grabbed Harry's elbow and began pulling him away. Harry's legs wobbled, out of his control, as he got dragged a few steps by the big man. Harry wondered why he was doing so.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, trying to pry Hugh's fingers off his elbow.

Without looking at him, Hugh pointed in front of Harry;

"We have to go"

Following Hugh's finger, Harry realized what he was referring to. Every gaze was fixed on them.

Seeing two people materialize out of thin air was not something Muggles were accustomed to. But there was something else. Maybe it was his muddled thoughts but the usual awe Muggles displayed on witnessing magic was absent. There was a different look about them; one full of rage and malice.

"MURDERER!" someone from the crowd screamed.

Before Harry had time to think what they were talking about; he was brought firmly back to reality with a jolt as a small, transparent glass vial smashed against his face. It broke on impact; causing the liquid inside to gush into Harry's eyes and mouth, temporarily blinding him.

The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer. Chants of "Get them" and "Justice" spread like wildfire.

"HARRY!" Hugh cried in concern, pulling Harry closer to him.

Meanwhile, the latter managed to get the liquid out of his eyes and, instinctively, pulled out his wand. There was now a second wound, throbbing and spewing blood from his forehead. But survival currently took first priority in his mind. He crouched down a little, poised for battle.

"Stupefy!" he said, aiming his wand at a bulky man who was rapidly advancing towards him.

The Muggle was immediately thrown back, falling on half a dozen others behind him. Hugh had also blasted a couple of people approaching him back into the crowd. He looked at Harry, trying to confirm whether he was all right. Harry briefly nodded and gestured for Hugh to stand with his back against his to prevent them from getting blindsided. Hugh obliged.

In the meantime, having realized that attacking head-on wouldn't work; the Muggles began using projectiles to attack the duo. In just a few seconds, everything available on the beach; from footwear to surfboards, was hurled at them.

"Diffindo!", "Reducto!", "Protego!"

The wizards fired spells rapidly to deflect the endless slew of objects without having any time to think.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry screamed, knocking ice boxes out of the hands of a few people in front of him.

The effect shocked the Muggles. For a brief moment, they went silent. But soon, they devised a new strategy and the onslaught resumed once again. This time it was faster and much harder to predict.

Both Harry and Hugh winced in pain as a few objects got through their barriers, crashing onto their bodies.

Their pain filled the crowd with new energy.

The attacks got even more vicious.

They were closing in.

For the first time in a decade, fear welled up into Harry's chest. The kind he had felt only once before.

"We have to get out of here." the thought kept repeating itself in his head.

The cup they had used to get here was long gone. Crushed under the feet of their assailants.

There was no time to make another Portkey.

They had no brooms.

Disapparation was the only option.

As he fired another spell to blast a surfboard aimed at him, he remembered that Hugh was opposed to Disapparation.

"But that was when we had a choice." He thought.

This time they would certainly be severely injured at the very least.

"At this rate…."

Harry didn't want to know what would happen. He quickly grabbed Hugh's hand and; trying hard to think of any safe location, turned on the spot.

The angry mob disappeared in a blur as Harry Disapparated with a loud crack.

§§§

 **Ottery St. Catchpole, Present Day (Day 6)**

Both the men dropped down to their knees, panting, as soon as they hit solid ground. Through a mixture of blood and sweat clouding his vision; Harry saw the oaken door to his home. Even in this state, he couldn't help but smile to himself at the fact that he had instinctively Apparated to the place he had been longing to return to for ages.

"That…..was….close" Hugh blurted out, clutching at his chest. He almost looked ill. He leaned against a tree for support.

"Yeah" Harry said, surveying the surroundings.

Being the early hours of the day, the region around them was deserted. He had already noticed that there was no one at home. Ron had most probably asked Ginny to move into the Burrow with the kids temporarily.

Harry took a moment to heal minor wounds with his wand. He could take care of the major healing with supplies in his home.

"You better have a bite to eat in there. I am famished." Hugh muttered, producing a steel flask from his overcoat.

"But first, I need some liquid courage. You want some?" He popped it open and offered it to Harry.

"No thank you. I didn't know you drink." Harry responded, having never seen the flask before.

"Yeah, I had a drinking problem a while back. I have gotten better now but I can't give it up. A nip now and then doesn't do any harm. I keep her with me for times like these." He said, as if reminiscing old times and then took a long swig.

"Another secret huh?"

"Seems like you have a lot of explaining to do." Harry shot a look to him.

Hugh knew that he was referring to the incident at Claymore Manor. He evaded the topic.

"I will tell you everything once I've had something to eat."

"Sure, I guess that makes sense."

Harry himself was in need of food after the past couple of days.

The men got up and stopped in front of Harry's door.

With a deep breath, Harry opened it, inviting Hugh in;

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll bring something to eat."

"Don't bother Mr. Potter. I'm afraid you won't have time for a meal." A familiar voice croaked in front of them.

Harry and Hugh froze in their spots.

A chill went down Harry's spine.

Sitting at the dining table, casually sipping tea from one of Harry's cups; was Nathan Claymore.


	19. Message

**Ch 18: Message**

 **The Shrieking Shack, Present Day (Day 7)**

"Anything yet?" Hermione asked.

"No" Ron replied shortly.

He had taken up a post gazing out of one of the boarded-up windows of the Shack since arriving here. Hermione had been at the Ministry earlier so she had arrived a little after Ron.

Both of them looked a little worse for wear. Ron's face had newly formed worry lines, his eyes had dark circles beneath them and he was in shabby robes. Currently, he looked more like the ghoul living in his attic than his usual self. Hermione wasn't much better. She had spent two consecutive nights at the Ministry, trying to find something that would help her make sense of the events of this week. The lack of sleep had made her eyes puffy.

Currently, she looked up from her copy of the Telegraph to find Ron still keeping watch outside, motionless, like a sentinel. He hadn't said anything but she could sense his inner turmoil.

Realizing that he needed someone to talk to; she took her wand out, mumbled some enchantments and summoned a creaky chair from a corner of the room.

"Ron." she called out;

"Harry can just Apparate into the Shack. He doesn't need to walk down the road. As for eavesdroppers and intruders; I've placed protective charms around the place. Come and sit. Let's talk."

She said, gesturing towards the chair.

Ron looked a bit hesitant to leave his post but he complied. Once he was seated, Hermione broke the ice.

"How's Ginny?" She asked, flipping through the periodical's pages.

"Honestly, I don't know." Ron mumbled out.

"But, I asked her to move into the Burrow with the kids. Didn't she come?"

"She did but…it's different. She won't talk to anyone. She says she is fine whenever Mum asks her and clams up afterwards. Mostly, she is with Albus. The poor kid has been having nightmares everytime he tries to sleep. I don't blame him."

"Lately, everything seems like a nightmare." He finished with his gaze fixed at a point on the ground.

For the first time, Hermione felt regret for having left Ron alone at a time like this. Looking at his state now, she was reminded of their time hunting Hocruxes together. How he would spend hours listening to the radio broadcast reporting dead wizards, hoping not to hear the name of anyone he knew.

"Ron, I'm sorry. I have been so consumed in work lately that-"

Ron stopped her;

"I don't blame you either Hermione. "

"If anyone has a chance of figuring out just what's going on, it's you. I'm counting on you."

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and planted a fond kiss on her cheek.

"But, take care of yourself too."

"I could say the same about you."

Both of them shared a silent moment, grateful to be in each other's company.

"I hope Harry's all right." Ron said in a concerned tone.

Hermione would have normally said something comforting. But right now, even she wasn't feeling very optimistic. She was positive that Harry had asked them to meet him and Malfoy here today. But, it was already past mid-day and there was still no sign of him. She really hoped he was just late.

"Why did you bring this?" Ron pointed at the newspaper in front of her.

"Haven't you already read today's Prophet?"

"It's not like there is much difference nowadays."

She replied, diverting his attention to the front page of the paper. Half the page was covered by two images; one of a dozen bloody bodies strewn across a polished marble floor and, alongside it, a close-up facial shot of Harry.

The headline ran;

" **Mass murderer at large**."

Ron's contempt was barely hidden.

"Actually, I brought it for this."

She turned the page, revealing an entire page covered by the obituary column.

"The Ministry cannot possibly let the Wizarding World know the magnitude of the massacre four days ago. The news published in the Prophet is heavily censored. This periodical gives a much clearer picture of the incident."

Seeing that she had caught Ron's attention, she continued;

"Apparently, a few wizards attacked Muggles gathered for an art exhibition in London that evening. They left a lot more than a few bodies in their wake. Somehow, the Muggle law enforcement managed to bring them down. But, they were dead before any information could be obtained from them. However; this incident coupled with the appearance of the dragon in Bournemouth, spread globally like wildfire through something called 'social media'. The Minister has also not been able to contact his Muggle counter-part. In essence, our world has been exposed to the Muggles. So far, they haven't been able to get over the chaos due to this news among their own. I hope they stay that way. But, there is mention of some 'Holy water' that will save the Muggles from us. A vial is being distributed to every Muggle in London. My parents got a pair this morning too. I haven't seen it yet but it's just something to calm down the public I suppose."

"Do you have any news?"

Ron answered;

"Well, I don't know about Muggles but the Goblin-Wizard relations are worse than ever. They refuse to open any vaults or send employees at Gringotts unless we allow them the possession of wands even though the gits can do magic themselves. It's for 'self-defense' they say. As if. The moment they get wands, they will be on our throats faster than you can say 'noodles'. Kingsley has to deal with them every day. That snake Harper has joined forces with his hooked-nose buddies too."

Hermione contemplated this information as she flipped through the Telegraph's pages. There was silence for a brief moment. There were still no signs of Harry or anyone else. Ron broke the silence with once more;

"What about that Nathan kid? Found anything about him yet?"

"Nothing useful. Financially struggling parents who died fighting the Death Eaters during the War twelve years ago. He was injured in the Hogwarts battle and was admitted at St. Mungo's for a while. When he recovered; none of his kin wanted to adopt him, claiming that he was 'different', 'aggressive', 'paranoid' or 'delusional'. As Harry mentioned before, there was a rumor of him being in possession of the Resurrection Stone a while back but no evidence was found. That's when the trail goes cold. He has been practically invisible for about a decade. Until now." She completed.

"Have you found anything useful?" Ron enquired, hoping to get a positive answer.

Hermione seemed a bit reluctant at first but, seeing the look on Ron's face; she produced a small glass vial from her robes. Inside it were familiar glowing blue misty forms; memories.

"I can't say for sure yet but I have a hypothesis. If I can validate it, then there might be a creature with some answers for us."

"But who? And how?" Ron was noticeably shocked.

"Remember when we went to Gringotts? I-"

She was interrupted by the arrival of a Patronus in the form of a badger glowing silver. It stopped in front of them and Kingsley's voice emanated through it;

"Ron and Hermione. Apologies for disturbing you but I need you at the Ministry right now."

"If Harry is with you, bring him too. But make sure to disguise him. Despite what we know, he is a wanted fugitive after all."

"There have been some developments which might help us finally understand what's going on."

Having done its job; the badger dissolved into thin air, leaving the duo to wonder what Kingsley had found.


	20. Meeting

**Ch 19: Meeting**

 **Ministry Of Magic, Present Day (Day 7)**

"Please take a seat." Kingsley welcomed Hermione and Ron into his chambers.

The duo obliged; curious to know what 'developments' Kingsley had mentioned in his message.

In the last couple of days; both the Minister and his office had changed greatly. A major part of the wall behind Kingsley was covered with moving photographs and news articles about the events of this week, a growing pile of parchment consumed some portion of Kingsley's desk. The remaining was occupied by The Pensieve and his forgotten breakfast. The Minister himself had bristles of facial hair popping out oddly and his eyes looked sunken in. It was obvious that he hadn't left The Ministry for days.

Moreover, what caught Ron's attention was the fact that Kingsley's fire-place was barred off.

Presently, Kingsley began speaking;

"I see neither Harry nor Draco is with you. So, you didn't meet them today?"

The duo nodded.

"As I suspected." He said softly.

He exhaled deeply.

"We will get to that later. For now, let's begin with what happened at our last meeting. Especially about the memories I had brought with me. I'm sure you remember?"

Ron didn't feel like answering that question. Just the thought of the gore he had witnessed made him feel sick. Beside him, Hermione remained quiet too; her hands clenched into fists on her lap. Kingsley didn't press them further;

"I believe I haven't told you how I obtained those memories yet?" he enquired.

Both Ron and Hermione shook their heads.

"I received them through owl-post." Kingsley stated.

"Owl-post?" Ron's shock was evident in his voice.

"Yes."

"And the sender?" Hermione asked.

"Unknown."

He continued;

"Let me make everything clear. The memories were those of Thomas Blake; a skilled Obliviator and the events we saw in them happened four days ago. About twenty-four hours before a Ukrainian Ironbelly was discovered taking a nap in Bournemouth. In the Obliviators' absence, I had no choice but to send your team to contain the event. Although, you managed to erase the memories of the Muggles present there, the news spread rapidly through Muggle social media. Furthermore, wizards attacked a Muggle art exhibition in London about six hours later. As a result, The Statute of Secrecy has collapsed altogether. Without the Obliviators and with most of our workforce already engaged; it is next to impossible to erase their memories for now."

"So it was according to a plan." Ron said.

"Yes. I had assumed that the person behind the Gringotts explosion and everything that followed it was the one who sent me the memories. I had my doubts even after the threat issued to me through Blake's memories. However, this—"

He produced an empty vial from his cloak

"—this confirms my assumption."

"Another set of memories?" Hermione said, startled.

Kingsley nodded. He then swirled the contents of The Pensieve until they glowed bright. He nodded towards the mixture.

"I'm afraid I must request you to accompany me once again."

§§§

The trio landed behind a dozen people standing outside an enormous building. A multitude of pillars guarded its entrance. Its ceiling was in the form of a colossal dome. Groups of people were entering the building. A clock hanging on the entrance told them it was 6:15 in the evening.

"This place—"Hermione looked wide-eyed at Kingsley.

The latter nodded gravely.

"The Art Exhibition."

Ron's gut clenched on hearing those words. All of a sudden, time seemed to slow down. The faces of the people heading into the building appeared more prominently to Ron; chatting, laughing, cherishing the company of their loved ones. All these people. Unaware of what awaited them.

"Go, now."

Ron was brought back to reality by a croaky voice a few steps in front of him.

"Leave no witnesses."

Hearing the command, the men in front of Ron pulled on hoods and paced towards the building's entrance. The trio followed them. While doing so, Ron glanced back at the man who had given the commands. He only caught a glimpse before he Disapparated but Ron was sure that it had been Nathan Claymore.

§§§

The sight before them now was nauseating. What had been an exhibition when they entered had quickly turned into a bloodbath. For some reason, none of the wizards had used the Killing Curse. Instead, they had chosen much more grotesque ways. The security guards had first been targeted with Exploding Charms; blasting them to pieces. Most of the people were launched into walls of the building and the remaining had simply been tortured till they died. Hermione was sobbing with her head buried in Ron's chest. Ron himself didn't feel much better. Kingsley still looked on but his fists were trembling.

Meanwhile, once the group of wizards had made sure that everyone else was dead; they took to bombarding the structure itself. Pieces of the ceiling fell all around them. Some of the walls also collapsed.

"Let's go back." Ron said to Kingsley.

The latter said nothing, observing a wizard standing in front of him.

"Can you hear me?" Ron said again.

Still no response. The chandelier fell and shattered on the ground in front of Kingsley. But, he still seemed unaffected.

"Hey" Ron repeated

"There's nothing left. Let's go."

Receiving no response; Ron made up his mind to walk up to Kingsley when the latter flicked his wand.

The falling sensation gripped Ron again.

§§§

As soon as they returned to the office, Kingsley started sifting through the parchment on his table. Ron offered Hermione a glass of water which she readily accepted. Before she had finished; Kingsley found what he was looking for.

He then sat down in his chair and placed the parchment in front of them.

"Daniel Killian." Ron read the heading of the document.

"Yes." Kingsley spoke;

"Another Obliviator. Also the man whose memories we were just in."

"WHAT!" Ron exclaimed in pure disbelief.

"Impossible! We saw them all being massacred at Privet Drive. This is from later that day. How could it be—"

"Possible?" Kingsley interrupted him.

"Not only is it possible, it would explain a lot of things."

* * *

 **Hey guys, I actually intended a longer chapter but my computer crashed on me again I could only salvage this. I have no choices but to break it into two chapters now. Sorry about that.**

 **But, I will upload the rest of the chapter tomorrow. So, stay tuned.**


	21. Answers

**Ch 20: Answers**

 **Ministry Of Magic, Present Day (Day 7)**

"Not only is it possible but it would explain a lot of things." The Minister stated.

Ron's head was swarming with a million questions. He wanted Kingsley to disclose just what he was talking about. But, the latter had already left his seat and was currently observing the wall behind it. Since Hermione was still distraught; Ron decided not to say anything until she was ready.

The room was quiet for a few minutes.

It was finally broken by Kingsley. After retrieving a small wooden box from his drawer, he sat down and addressed them;

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. I was trying to see if my reasoning was correct. On close observation; it seems that most of the events can now be explained. Should I proceed?" he looked at them.

Hermione said nothing but weakly nodded. Ron nodded too.

"First of all, what we saw in Privet Drive had more facets than we initially considered. The Obliviators arriving there mentioned that they had received orders from me. I am sure that I didn't issue any such command. Even if they were faked; only someone who has previously received orders from me could have duplicated them."

"One of the Obliviators?" Ron exclaimed.

"Not exactly. I have no reason to doubt the loyalty of anyone from the department. Ruling that out, there was only one other conclusion. One squad of Obliviators was intercepted by the culprit shortly before the Privet Drive massacre. They were used to fake my orders and gather the rest of the department in one place. Initially I thought that this squad was placed under the Imperius Curse and killed in Privet Drive. But, since Daniel was alive until the Art Exhibition that evening; it can be reasoned that the remaining attackers were also Obliviators.

But, Blake clearly claimed that his entire department was present at Privet Drive. That can only be explained by—"

"Decoys" Ron finally felt like he was following Kingsley's words.

"Exactly." The Minister agreed.

"Which brings me to my next point. Everything that followed the Obliviators' arrival was flawlessly staged. The decoys cast an Anti-Apparition Charm to prevent anyone from escaping. They also cast non-verbal spells to put the Obliviators in a state of temporary paralysis. The hooded man simply broadcasted his thoughts to everyone, making them believe that it was his power holding him still. He did his part and, once their utility had expired, the decoys were killed along with the Obliviators; leaving no loose ends."

Ron couldn't believe the sheer brilliance of the plan Kingsley had just outlined. Meanwhile, Kingsley drew a deep breath and added;

"Furthermore, the captured Obliviators were sent to terrorize Muggles to affirm wizardkind as a threat to them. The only reason the police were able to kill them was because that was part of the plan."

"Unbelievable" Ron blurted out.

"That's not all. Now that the Muggles fear our kind; the perpetrator moved on to the next part of his plan, that is,-"

Now, he opened the box, revealing its contents. Resting on a crimson cushion inside it was a large glass vial filled with clear liquid.

"—this."

" The 'Holy Water'" Hermione recalled seeing it in the Telegraph.

"Yes. That is what the Muggles call it. But, it is a sample of the Thief's Demise waterfall formerly at Gringotts. It neutralizes most spells, Polyjuice Potion and effects of the charm placed on an average Invisibility Cloak."

Ron's eyes widened;

"That's why Gringotts was attacked!"

"That is one of the reasons; apart from capturing the Ironbelly, framing Harry _and_ creating tensions between Goblins and Wizards."

Hermione gasped.

"Minister, may I use the Pensieve for a few minutes?" she blurted; summoning the memories she had earlier shown to Ron from her bag.

"Of course. But, whose memories are those?" Kingsley probed her.

"Mine. From the day I found a goblin hiding in a vault in Gringotts. If I am right; then he might be able to help us." Hermione said while swirling the Pensieve's contents.

§§§

It had been about five minutes. The two men were silent; waiting for Hermione to return.

As soon as she returned, she spoke urgently;

"I was right. It seemed odd that a person with an intellect sharp enough to execute this plan would allow a goblin to survive. I had a hunch that something was wrong. It was very subtle; but I am now sure that the goblin is under mind-control and being used as a puppet to sabotage Goblin-Wizard relations. If that is true, then Harry must stay missing."

She shot a troubled glance at Ron;

"I think Harry's life is in danger."

* * *

 **P.S. While reviewing the story, I found that some of the content didn't properly portray what i had in mind. Also, the timeline seemed confusing. So, I added brackets stating the day at the start of each chapter. Also, I had to edit some chapters to keep the writing consistent.**

 **I have ensured that there are no overall changes to the story. So you guys don't have to read the entire thing again.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think.**

 **Thanks for all the amazing support.**


	22. Arrival

**Ch 21: Arrival**

 **Unknown, Present Day (Day 7)**

"MARK!"

Harry was woken up by Hugh's alarmed voice coming from somewhere near him. On opening his eyes; he found himself lying face-up in a dark room. The ground beneath him was cold and hard; stone probably, and the air carried an ominous chill. The impression was that of being in a dungeon. But, the place smelled nothing like one. Rather, it smelled of bleach and sickly sweet medicine, like a hospital.

Harry realized his wand was nowhere to be found. He fumbled around the floor with his hands but it wasn't there.

Meanwhile, Hugh cried out again;

"MARK! GET UP!"

Hugh's voice was shaky; as if he was holding back a sob. Harry had never heard him sound that grieved.

"Ugh, quit it already." another voice croaked at Hugh.

Even as his eyes adjusted to the dark; Harry recognized the voice. It was Nathan Claymore.

Now that he could vaguely see again; a solid dark stone ceiling came into view. Not wanting to let anyone know he was conscious just yet; he quietly shifted so that he could see the rest of the room. He seemed to be in something akin to a jail cell. He was surrounded by iron bars on three sides, excluding the wall behind him. No entrance or exit from the cell was visible. Nathan was sitting in an old lounge chair a few feet away from the cell. But, there was something different about him. The foxy grin and relaxed composure Harry was used to seeing had been replaced by a grim look and jittery body language. Nathan didn't look like he had noticed Harry. His gaze was firmly fixed towards another cell Harry's right.

On following his gaze; Harry could make out the massive figure of Hugh kneeling on the floor in the cell. He was breathing heavily, his shoulders shaking. He seemed to be cradling someone in his lap; Harry couldn't make out the person's face. Only their pale feet were visible hanging out from Hugh's lap. They were caked with dirt, mud and what looked like dried blood. Their toenails were long, crooked and sullied too. Attached to their ankles were metal cuffs.

Harry couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. The cuffs extended into long chain links hooked to a portion of the wall opposite to Hugh. Not for the first time in the last week, Harry had woken up in a strange place with no idea how he got there. He just hoped he hadn't lost another two days like last time. The last thing he remembered was Nathan appearing in his house out of nowhere. There was something else too, but it was fuzzy, as if shrouded in mist. Nevertheless, he had a rough idea of what must have happened. In the exhausted state both Hugh and he had been in, it was highly probable that Nathan had subdued them and brought them here. Whatever this place was, he and Hugh had to get out of here, and fast.

While Harry was thinking of ways to escape, he thought he saw something move in the shadows. It didn't seem like there could be someone else there but Harry shut his eyes and lay still. No one else seemed to have registered anything. For a moment there was no sound save for Hugh sniffling in his cell and Nathan tapping his foot on the floor. Harry was almost convinced it had been just his imagination when he felt a sharp sting in his head. Harry wanted to clutch his forehead but his hands stayed pinned at his side. A chill made its way down his spine, turning his entire body numb in a matter of seconds. The chill arose in his head now, like his brain was being frozen. His surroundings became distant, as if he were separated from it by a thick veil. His eyes shut themselves of their own will. All that remained was a dull hiss through the chill; slowly growing closer, louder.

As it closed in, Harry realized it was a whisper, a familiar one. He knew what it was before he heard it;

"Potterrrr….."

The mist surrounding him materialized; turning into a cupboard under the stairs. The door was ajar, revealing darkness outside. The hiss was almost upon him, clouding his thoughts. Harry felt himself getting smaller. All his strength and courage drained out of him, replaced with terror. He found himself cowering in front of the dark figure now at the door. Suddenly Harry was a child again, and The Dark Lord was coming for him.

A face whiter than a skull emerged from the darkness, scarlet eyes with slits for pupils glowered at him and unnaturally long fingers reached out to grasp Harry. Despair seized him; rendering him unable to move, unable to think. All he could do was stay rooted to his spot, powerless. Just when the fingers were about to grab him, the hiss stopped. His surroundings faded back into obscurity. For a second, nothing happened.

Then he heard the sound of shoes dropping on a stone floor and Nathan gasping in surprise;

"Potter? You're awake?"

"Very observant of you, _boy."_

A new voice now spoke from somewhere behind Nathan. Harry was still unable to move but his eyes opened up by themselves. He saw Nathan jump in alarm and turn around with his back towards Harry.

"M-master, you're here. I didn't see you come i—"

"Enough!" The man didn't raise his voice but his tone carried absolute authority. Nathan stopped speaking immediately.

"I'll deal with you later. For now, I have an appointment with Harry here."

Harry felt another twinge on his forehead when the man spoke his name. He could see a vague silhouette standing in front of Nathan. Hugh had gotten quiet now too. But Harry couldn't see what he was doing. The figure produced a wand and flicked it.

With a loud crack, a dozen lights flashed on, making dark spots dance in front of Harry's eyes.

"The great Harry Potter. I've been waiting a long time to meet you."


End file.
